Jimi Hendrix, the man who popularized the query “Are you experienced?” was dead a decade by the time the first Millenials were born in 1980. Yet, in the US, this 75 million-strong generation has defined itself by its appetite and spending on experiences. According to a survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of online event service Eventbrite, 78 percent of Millennials would prefer to spend money on an experience or event rather than buying something. Moreover, the survey found that and 55 percent of millennials say they’re also spending more on events than they have in the past. No […]

Polls are all based on "likely voters." A campaign manager I was talking to last week was in a rush because he was still dragging homeless people onto buses to feed them sandwiches, etc and get them to the early voting stations. Over a thousand. Likely voters? Not a chance. Early voting shows "unexpected" upturns for women voters, black voters, Latino voters and millennials voters. How many extra seats is that worth to the Democrats beyond what the pollsters and prognosticators predicted? 10? 20? 30?Last week Time Magazine warned them: Youth Voter Turnout in the Midterm Elections Could Be Historic, According to a New Poll. "Young voters could turn out to vote at record-breaking levels in the midterm elections next month, according to a new poll. The poll, released Monday by the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, found 40% of 18 to 29-year-olds say they will 'definitely vote' in the midterm elections on Nov. 6. Youth voter turnout has historically been dismal in midterm elections, which tend to draw fewer voters overall than presidential election years. The highest rate of youth voter turnout in past midterm elections was 21% in both 1986 and 1994, according to the Harvard report... In the 2014 midterm elections, 19.9% of adults under 30 voted-- 'the lowest rate of youth turnout recorded in the past 40 years.' In the 2016 presidential election, 46.1% of adults under 30 voted-- an increase from 2012, but still the lowest turnout rate of any age group."

In this year’s poll, a larger percentage of young Democrats (54%) than young Republicans (43%) indicated they were likely to vote.. Overall, 66% of respondents supported Democrats taking back control of Congress, compared to 32% for Republican control.

Youth turnout rates in the midterm early vote are up by 125 percent compared to 2014, according to Catalist, a voter database servicing progressive organizations-- an eye-popping and historically high figure, say strategists on both the left and the right.Young Americans ages 18 to 29 who say they are definitely voting tilt leftward, according to polls. But the data also shows young Republicans are bubbling with enthusiasm headed into tomorrow....2020 implications: Among young people polled, 59 percent said they would “never” vote for President Trump vs. 11 percent who said they'd be “sure to” vote for him.... GOP pollster Chris Wilson, the CEO of WPA Intelligence, told us he thought it was a “bit too much” to call the turnout “historic.” But he said the electorate is looking younger “than both the 2016 and 2014 general elections. “Voters under 25 are outpacing their vote share from both the 2016 and 2014 general. Proportionately it’s not enough to make a huge difference, but it’s more,” Wilson said.Nine months after 17 students were killed in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Della Volpe's firm, SocialSphere, found that school shootings are the most worrisome issue to young Americans.

Surge in activism = a surge in voting: Tom Bonier, a Democratic strategist and head of the firm Targetsmart, told us that skeptics initially cast doubt on the firm's findings that the “share of youth registrants nationwide increased by 2.16 percent” after the Parkland shooting in February. A September memo showed that turnout among young people increased by an average of 4 percent in the 2018 primaries vs. 2014 primaries-- and doubled in some battleground states compared to 2014. Per Bonier, “Pennsylvania . . . has seen youth voter registration surge by 10 points after [Parkland]. Youth voters make up nearly 60 percent of all new Pennsylvania registrants.”The mass shooting generation is showing up: We spoke with Jackie Corin, co-founder of March for Our Lives, who voted for the first time last week. Corin, along with a handful of her peers, has been traveling the country, meeting with lawmakers and mass shooting survivors, speaking on college campuses and visiting communities to build what the group calls a “youth infrastructure” to carry over into 2020.

• Civic engagement is cool: “Activism is becoming more of a normalized activity for teenagers-- they are seeing their friends get involved with campaigns and issues and it’s spreading like wildfire,” Corin added.• Twitter working against Trump?: Corin also credited the spike in awareness and engagement to Trump's Twitter habits. “The president uses Twitter as main source of communication and that’s something that young people see every single day-- they’re always on Twitter and Instagram so they're more engaged about what's going on.”• Real progress: Since the Parkland shooting that killed 17, over 60 state laws have been passed tightening gun control. “The constant mass shootings are large motivators … it’s what has activated thousands and thousands of people across this country,” Corin said.

We still don't know if the shift pollsters are seeing in early voting will be reflected at the ballot box.

So far today, it very much looks like it is. Meanwhile, everyone agrees that the likeliest of likely voters are seniors, particularly retirees. It's undeniable that they vote more than any other age group and that in recent decades that have been more prone to vote Republican. That party preference seems to have flipped on its head this cycle. Yesterday, the Wall Street Journalreported that campaign donors "who identify their occupation as 'retired' gave 52% of the $326 million they contributed through Oct. 17 to Democrats, compared with 48% to Republicans according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. That is a reversal of their split four years ago-- and it’s a record amount of midterm money from retirees. This is the first midterms since the group began keeping donor industry data in 1990 in which retirees favor Democrats over Republicans. That year, retirees gave 76% of their $15 million in contributions to Republicans and 24% to Democrats. As social security and Medicare have become hot-button political issues, retiree donors have steadily crept toward Democrats, the center’s data show. By 2002, the GOP advantage among retiree donors had declined to 63% versus 36%. Eight years later, the split was 55%-44%."

Politico: "The general consensus among Republicans is that they will lose the House, and end up in at least a five-seat minority-- that would correspond to a 28-seat loss. Senior Republicans tell us that even in a worst-case scenario, they do not expect to lose 40 seats. A prescient prediction or famous last words?"Of all the senior Republican lawmakers they spoke with over the weekend, "only one made the case that the GOP will keep the House." If it's who I think it was, he was staggering drunk for the entire weekend. Many Republicans expected the House races to tighten up by election day. Instead the generic ballot polls have gotten even worse for them. The last one for CNN by SSRS shows an absolutely massive 55% to 42% preference for Democrats among likely voters. As I've said before, the pollsters' likely vote modeling is wrong because it is not taking increased Latino and millennial voting into account. Polls predicting less than 30 flipped seats will all be off by as much as 100% tonight.

Let's look at Florida. Yesterday's Marist poll shows Andrew Gillum leading Ron DeSantis in the gubernatorial race-- 50% to 46%-- and Bill Nelson leading Scott in the Senate race by the same 50% to 46%. Democrats are very lucky to have Gillum at the head of the ticket instead of dull conservative Gwen Graham, who had been the establishment candidate and who would have dragged the party down the toilet with her. But it's a shame Florida doesn't have any good congressional candidates who could ride the wave and Andrew's coattails into office. Instead, it's a bunch of DCCC-recruited backs from the Republican wing of the party-- New Dems and Blue Dogs. This is the key today: "Democrats in both races are performing better than their Republican counterparts with likely voters who are independents, minorities and women."

Results from Quinnipiac are nearly identical: seven point leads for both Gillum and Nelson, entirely because of double-digit leads for both among women, minorities and independent voters. Writing Sunday for the Miami Herald Steve Bousquet reported on the surge in early voting for Democrats. On Sunday, "Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough and Orange, the five biggest 'blue' counties, all reported their highest one-day early voting totals of the 2018 campaign. As a result, on a day when President Donald Trump rallied thousands of Republicans in Pensacola, the GOP’s ballot advantage over the Democrats shrank to six-tenths of 1 percentage point (0.6), with GOP ballots at 40.8 percent of the statewide total and Democrats at 40.2 percent." By Monday morning Dems had a +0.5% lead over Republicans in ballots cast. In 2014 Republicans held almost a 6% lead over Dems going into election day.So how many Democratic candidates will Gillum's coattails and the anti-red wave drag to victory in Florida today? Most of the candidates are so terrible that it's hard to say-- but even the worst of them are less horrible than the Republicans they're opposing. Donna Shalala, as bad a candidate as you'll find anywhere, will probably beat Maria Salazar in bright blue FL-27 (PVI- D+5) despite herself. Nate Silver gives her a 6 in 7 chance to win (84.7%). Next door in Carlos Curbelo's district (FL-26-- where the DCCC and Pelosi's PAC have spent $7,175,066 attacking Curbelo-- another weak Democrat, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell looks like she'll take the seat (PVI is D+6). Silver gives her a 5 in 9 chance (55.6%). The other Republican-held Miami-Dade seat, Mario Diaz-Balart's 25th district (PVI- R+4) has the best of the 3 Democratic challengers, Mary Barzee Flores, but in the toughest race. Silver gives her a 2 in 7 chance (27.8%) to beat Diaz-Balart. The wave will have had to have turned into a tsunami tonight for her to win.

Silver gives Wasserman Schultz a 99.9% chance of retaining her seat in a 3-way contest against progressive Tim Canova and some Republican sacrificial lamb, more or less the same chance Joe Crowley had in beating Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The only polling in the district-- by a GOP firm-- shows Wasserman Schultz exactly tied with Canova.The DCCC has 4 other Democratic candidates on their Red to Blue page-- Nancy Soderberg (FL-06, Ron DiSantis' open seat with an R+7 PVI), Kristen Carlsen (FL-15, Dennis Ross' open seat stretching from the Tampa suburbs to the Orlando area with an R+6 PVI), David Shapiro (FL-16, Vern Buchanan's Sarasota, Bradenton seat with an R+7 PVI) and Lauren Baer (FL-18, Brian Mast's Treasure Coast district with an R+5 PVI). Silver doesn't give any of them much of a chance to win. Soderberg 1 in 4, Carlsen 3 in 7, Shapiro 1 in 7, and Baer 1 in 12. Soderberg, Baer and Shapiro (as well as Mucarsel-Powell) are all New Dems. The 2 Florida candidates in red districts with the best shot are 2 normal Dems, Kristen Carlsen and Mary Barzee Flores. The DCCC has spent modestly in a few of the races-- $499,932 in FL-06, $146,362 in FL-16, $868,290 in FL-18, and $694,360 in FL-15 .

Matt Haggman is one of the progressive Democrats Blue America endorsed this cycle but who didn't win his primary, losing out, in this case, to an establishment nothing with lots of name recognition and money but with nothing to offer the voters except that she's not a Trumpist. Tragic waste of a blue seat but Matt has been good sport about it, endorsed her and has been working to help elect her. He agreed to catch us up on what he's been up to down in South Florida. He reiterated that "This is the most important mid-term election in our lifetimes. It’s a moment when we will decide as a country who we are and who we are not. Here in Florida I have been working to help Andrew Gillum, Donna Shalala, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Mary Barzee Flores and Bill Nelson all win. Just this weekend I was out canvassing. But, before this, I was a candidate. I was one of the many across the country who left good jobs to up and run for Congress following the 2016 presidential election. For me, it didn’t go as hoped. I lost to Donna Shalala in Florida’s Congressional District 27. Howie asked that I share a blog post I wrote in the weeks after the Aug. 28 Florida primary. It’s a reminder of the reasons why this mid-term is so important. Why each of us can have a big impact even if we’re not on the ballot. And why, whether a candidate or supporter, we must do all we can to ensure everyone gets out to vote this Election Day to turn a new page in our politics."Until Next Time, Thank youIt’s been a few weeks since the primary election. Obviously, for me, it was a disappointment. But the many great wishes since election night from friends and supporters has been wonderful. I wanted to write a post and say thank you. And also reflect a bit on the past 13 months campaigning for US Congress.Before doing that, I again congratulate Donna Shalala on her victory. This is a moment in our politics that is bigger than any individual and it’s critical that the Democratic party take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. We must unite behind her. In addition, we have to elect Andrew Gillum as our next Governor! His campaign has energized us all, and it’s time to bring it home.Looking back on the primary, my overriding feeling is gratitude. I’m extremely thankful to my wife Danet, who supported me in this effort, and thankful to all of the people who propelled our campaign-- the volunteers, fellows, staff, donors and, ultimately, voters. I had never run for any elected office, yet so many went all-in supporting our campaign. Thank you very, very much.Our fellows were, in particular, an inspiration to me. We recruited more than 50. Most were in college, some still in high school. Working on the campaign after class or full-time during summer break. Weekends, nights. Calling voters, knocking on doors. They were passionate and dedicated. Now, they are back on campus. At schools from Miami Dade College and Michigan to Boston University and Palmetto Senior High School. At a time when our political system badly needs a reset, they showed what it means to take hold of our democracy. With them, our future is so blazingly bright.Along with our fellows, what I loved about being a candidate was talking with voters and being out in the community. I loved it. Going door to door on sweltering summer afternoons in Kendall, or Little Havana, or Richmond Heights. Evenings canvassing in Westchester or Palmetto Bay. Unfiltered and alone, it was just us; talking about our community and country. On those days and nights there was no place I would rather be.Life revealed itself in its many forms on these unannounced visits. The couple celebrating their daughter who was headed to college. The single mom working three jobs to keep current on her mortgage. The middle-aged woman who tried to chat amiably but, after a time, couldn’t hold it back any longer, sharing that she’d just been diagnosed with cancer. “I need a hug,” she said, a tear running down her cheek, which she quickly and defiantly wiped away.The conversations were always so real-- standing at front doors, sitting in living rooms, meeting people where they are, learning about their hopes and concerns, aspirations and struggles. At a time when Washington has so fundamentally and collectively lost its way, at the grassroots people are making sense. We need to spend more time listening to them.Indeed, throughout the campaign I often said the best ideas come from the community, not candidates. I really meant it. Change happens from the ground up, and that’s never been more true than today. From start to finish, our campaign sought to stay true to that ethos. Namely, we focused on voters, rather than cutting down competitors as a means to win.We visited every precinct, we knocked on some 45,000 doors. Again and again, I found a sincerity, thoughtfulness and a belief that things will get better. I always thought we lived in a special community, but over the last year I’ve vividly seen it with my own eyes in one neighborhood after another. Those thousands of conversations leave me today more hopeful and optimistic than ever.If only our politics can be as good as them. I think it can, but we are going to have to change in big ways.To me, election night 2016 was a shattering moment-- and it’s what ultimately prompted me to run. I had believed that America would never elect a person who said and did the things that Donald Trump said and did. I believed that America today would never elect a bully, a liar, someone who preyed upon our worst fears and sought to divide us to win support. We might come close to electing such a demagogue, but at this stage in our country’s history we would never actually do it. I was obviously wrong.The better angels of our nature had given way to our most base sensibilities. A presidency built on hope was followed by one grounded in our worst fears.In early January, as President Obama prepared to leave office, he gave his farewell address, warning that we can’t take democracy for granted. That it “falls on each of us to be anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy.” What the speech said to me is that, yes, America is a special place. But it’s only special because generation after generation has continually engaged in making it so-- even as there are setbacks, sometimes dramatic setbacks, along the way.Then, at Danet’s urging, on January 21st we attended the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. My sister Meghan and our friend Lissette went too. It was an extraordinary day as millions around the world rose up. It was there that I thought to myself that this remarkable moment of protest must also be a moment of real and lasting change-- and wondered how to try and live that. It was there that I decided to run.The reason I decided to drop everything, leave my job at Knight Foundation and do something I’d never done before was because I believed we were-- and are-- at a pivotal moment. This is not a normal election year.I firmly believe that years from now people will ask about this time, what did we do?What did we do when a President-- along with a compliant Republican-controlled Congress-- called for border walls, Muslim bans, tore thousands of immigrant children from their parents, bowed to a foreign power that meddled in our election, sympathized with neo-Nazis, sought to use law enforcement as a means to settle political scores, and declared the press an enemy of the state.This election is our moment to reaffirm and declare who we are-- and who we are not-- as a country.But, in doing so, we have to realize that this election is about what’s next. It can’t just be about what we’re against, but it has to be about what we’re for. Indeed, while Donald Trump has contributed much to our dysfunctional politics, the truth is that he’s the result of a dysfunctional system that has been spiraling for some time.We are only going to achieve the change we need if we dispense with the incrementalism that has defined our politics for so long and think-- and do-- in dramatic new ways. And allow new leaders to emerge in a political system that’s long become stuck.Put another way, it’s a two-part challenge: ensure that today does not become the new normal, and provide a vision for what tomorrow will look like. With that in mind, we sought to run a campaign that actually represented the change we seek.At a time when money is undermining our democracy, we didn’t accept any funding from political action committees, federal lobbyists or special interests like big sugar.At a time when so many have given up on politics, our campaign was powered by extraordinary campaign fellows who were the heart and soul of our effort.At a time when so many are disconnected from our government, we built a field program that sought to personally engage voters in every neighborhood in every part of the district.At a time when the leadership in Congress hasn’t changed in years, we called for an entirely new slate of people in leadership roles in the House. The new faces in the next Congress must not be just newly elected members, but the leaders at the top too.Of course, our efforts did not result in a victory. But I have no regrets. After all, this is a moment to take chances. And throughout my life I’ve always sought to take chances by diving into entirely new things; and going all-in when I do.Whether it was going to New Orleans to write a biography on Professor Longhair (still unfinished). Or moving to Miami-- where I didn’t know a soul (but met my soulmate)-- to become a journalist (where I had a great run that lasted nearly a decade). Or leaving the Miami Herald to join Knight Foundation (where I had an even better run), in which I launched an entirely new program that planted the seeds and propelled Miami’s rapidly emerging startup and entrepreneurial community.I want to stretch myself, test boundaries and be willing to do entirely new things. Incumbent to that approach will be wins and losses. It’s the in-between that I want to avoid.Make no mistake, I dearly wish I was part of the Blue Wave at this critical point in our country’s history. But I’m not. This moment belongs to candidates with names like Gillum, O’Rourke, Pressley, Lamb, Ocasio-Cortez, and so many others. I will be cheering every one of them on, and support in any way I can. We need them to win and be good leaders when a new Congress is sworn in in January.And, each in our own way, we all need to lean in and help. The moment is too important. The challenges are too great. The stakes too high. No one can sit this out.So what’s next? The short answer is, I don’t know.I do know that I have many people to thank. I remember when I decided to run, a friend advised that people look at you differently when you’re a political candidate. He cautioned that you’ll be disappointed by friends you thought would be there. But he also said you’ll be surprised by the support from those you didn’t know before or never expected. Focus and delight in the latter, he said. And I will.(One quick note: Danet and I took some time away after the election. If you haven’t heard from me yet, you’ll be hearing from me soon.)After such an all-consuming period I also have many friendships to renew, which I am looking forward to doing.Life is about chapters and seasons. The thing about political campaigns is the chapter ends so suddenly. After such an intense period, it’s quickly and suddenly over. It’s a crash landing. But a new chapter begins. There is power in blank canvases. I’ve experienced it before. It’s at moments like these when you can edit your life and think completely anew. It’s often at these moments when the unimagined happens, when you follow completely new paths and find unexpected success.I have no idea what this next chapter will bring, but I’m excited to find out.After the race, I spoke with Reggie, who is a great friend and the father of Joshua, my little through Big Brother Big Sister for more than a decade. Reggie said to me: “You gotta keep pressing on my man. It’s all good.”That pretty much says it all. Keep pressing on.

If you’re involved with travel and tourism marketing, you need to be on Instagram. In fact, 60% of millennial travelers on social media are active on Instagram, and 48% of Instagram users use the app to find new travel destinations and places to explore*. Why Tourism Marketers Need an Instagram Strategy Travel and Instagram are […]

If a bunch of friends and family, and a few near-strangers, made a video that they were all concerned about your health, would you finally head to the doctor? That kind of peer pressure is behind a campaign for CityMD, the New York metro area’s largest urgent care provider.

Inspired by statistics showing that a majority of millennials aren’t going to the doctor, but rather, are walking around sick trying to self-diagnose, CityMD has launched ‘You Need Some CityMD.’ The campaign, created by indie agency Terri & Sandy, features pleas to sick individuals from their family, friends, and loved ones to go to CityMD so they can feel better and stop spreading whatever it is they have. The campaign touts CityMD as the antidote to the broken medical system, offering fast access to high-quality medical professionals, fast referrals to excellent specialists, and kinder treatment along the way.

The campaign kicks off during the heart of flu season with a spot called ‘People Who Know Meredith Carlson.’ It showcases the unseen woman’s extended family and friends, complete with her roommate, ride-share driver, and last online date, urging her to go CityMD to care for her deep cough, which they fear could be contagious.

The pleas continue in a series of 15-second spots running on TV, social, and paid digital video.

In addition, a series of transit posters will hit NYC subways and the Long Island Railroad — two breeding grounds for germs — on December 1, showcasing pleas, in the form of bold, graphic letters, to a multitude of sick or injured individuals, directing them to the nearest CityMD to tend to their ailments. Consumers are also invited to submit their own sick-person pleas via the brand’s Twitter account.

A recent Morning Consult study showed that over 56% of Americans feel the health care system does not work for them. In addition, nine out of 10 millennials are avoiding going to the doctor because they think it’s easier to self-diagnose and treat rather than wait to gain access to a doctor, according to a study from Zocdoc.

“At CityMD, we believe that everyone should have access to quality, convenient medical care," said Julie Kang, the company's senior vice president of sales and marketing. "CityMD works for the patient to serve them kinder, faster, and with the most affordable options that meet the changing needs of today's busy consumers.

[…] that this fashion exemplifies the cyclical nature of conventional wisdom surrounding food, from the all-liquor diet of William the Conqueror (recapitulated as “drunkorexia” for the millennial age) to the Paleolithic diet, which sought […]

Meet Elyse Fox, New York City-based filmmaker and founder of Sad Girls Club, an online group for millennial and Generation Z women of color dealing with mental-health issues. The club which launched in February of 2017, combines connectivity of social media and the real world by hosting monthly IRL meet-ups in the NYC area.

IN years to come, students of Media Studies will write lengthy dissertations about the year 2018 and the death of the celebrity profile. This year has been an orgy of neutered, highly curated celebrity-on-celebrity interviews: Kendall interviewed...

QI’M a year into a management position at a mid-sized advertising firm. The staff I manage are typically young, recent graduates — millennials. I encourage them to speak up and share their ideas, and I hold a weekly meeting to give them the platform to...

Writer Stefanie Preissner has long been our favourite millennial. Her Instagram feed is a mixture of her travels (currently Stefanie’s spending a lot of time in Los Angeles, where she’s working with Netflix), behind-the-scenes shots on her shows,...

NBC, Fox, and Facebook all pulled an ad widely condemned as racist following public backlash.

While all three companies have their own advertising standards teams that evaluate ads, an initial review didn't flag anything as impermissible in the ad.

Some experts note a perceived difference in the way ads are reviewed for commercial products and political issues.

Brand-safety issues come with running political advertisements for networks and platforms.

Less than 24 hours after an advertisement that was widely condemned as racist aired during a Sunday Night Football game on NBC, the network issued a sweeping reversal, vowing to immediately remove the ad. NBC cited the ad's "insensitive" nature as the reason for its removal.

Shortly after, both Fox and Facebook, which aired the ad on their respective platforms, issued similar statements and pulled the ad.

The 30-second primetime advertisement released by President Trump's campaign attempted to draw a connection between convicted cop killer Luis Bracamontes, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who is now on death row, and the so-called migrant caravan now traveling up through Mexico toward the US border. There is no known connection, and Trump has frequently used the migrant caravan — a group of several thousand Central American migrants fleeing violence and poverty in their home countries — as a talking point to stoke fears about immigration in the US.

So how did the ad pass muster?

For one, it actually wasn't cleared by all the companies to which it was submitted. CNN, for example, rejected the ad, calling it racist.

NBC, Fox, and Facebook all have their own advertising standards teams that evaluate ads and originally accepted the Trump ad. Federal agencies, which have varying degrees of jurisdiction regulating ads, didn't flag anything as impermissible. It was a public rebuke that prompted a second review and the eventual pulling of the ad.

The original airing, outcry, and then reversal by the networks show both the difference in rules around enforcement between commercial and political ads, and the growing indication that networks and platforms must appreciate the brand-safety issues that come with political advertisements.

Standards and practices

The teams at a network or cable company that review an ad for a commercial product and for a political candidate or cause tend to be the same. But the evaluation process is different, according to people familiar with it.

"I have to believe that in a sane world when a political party or candidate buys time, the assumption is you don't have to scrutinize ads same way you have to if someone is selling something," Preston Beckman, former NBC and Fox executive, told Business Insider. "Political ads are selling policy."

Ad agencies also note a perceived difference in the way ads are reviewed for commercial products and political issues.

"The FCC, the FTC, and the FEC leave the American people for dead when it comes to political advertising," Sarah O'Leary, lead strategist at Methods & Madness, told Business Insider. "They allow our public airwaves to be used to lie to us without any regulation."

The FCC administers political programming rules for TV, but it doesn't evaluate messaging in ads. Both the FEC and FTC oversee campaign finance laws, including the disclosure of funds raised to influence federal elections.

The network is the real evaluation point on ad messaging, according to O'Leary, who owns an ad agency.

In her experience, the process of getting a commercial ad submitted involves reading product research to understand what facts can be included in an advertisement, multiple layers of review by lawyers, and a final review by networks or cable companies to decide if the ad is legal and fact based, or misleading.

"The people at the networks know this process inside and out," O'Leary said. "They figured they'd take a chance."

Money is part of the equation, she said, and primetime slots fetch significant ad dollars. Trump spent $2.7 million on national TV ads last week alone, according to iSpot.TV.

The Trump ad was created by Jamestown Associates, a corporate advertising firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with National Media as the ad-buying agency, and aired three times on NBC properties and 14 times on Fox properties over the last week before it was pulled. At the time it was removed, it had been viewed more that 21 million times, according to iSpot.TV.

The review of a political ad shouldn't be any less stringent than it is for a commercial product, O'Leary said. "They're selling the most important thing to our society they are selling ideas and principles that are going to determine our government."

Reputational risk

Since federal agencies don't thoroughly review political ad messages, that leaves the evaluation of whether an ad is appropriate to broadcasters and cable companies. And that determination has proven difficult. NBC, Fox, and Facebook all removed the ad not because it spouted factual inaccuracies, but for less quantifiable reasons.

NBC used the term "insensitive." Facebook said the content was "sensational." In either case, the platforms seemed to designate the ad as a violation of social mores. And that may leave them exposed to a future mishap.

In the case of the most recent Trump ad that was removed, the damage seems contained.

"I don’t think there’s a reputational risk for the network and its other advertisers either way, unless an ad is so egregious that it somehow causes consumers to view other advertisers or the network negatively," Brian Wieser, senior analyst Pivotal Research, told Business Insider in an email. "Advertisers are concerned more about the content they are associated with than the brand company they keep."

YouTube is an example of a platform that faced backlash after advertisers noticed their ads running next to offensive or extremist content. It resulted in hundreds of advertisers pulling their ads from YouTube even though ads only rarely ran next to questionable content, Wieser said.

But advertisers usually only act when there's a direct correlation between content or brand safety and an ad.

Take Facebook's role in the genocide against the Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority group. On Monday,Facebook admitted it didn't do enough to prevent its platform being used to incite violence and hate against the Rohingya. But advertisers aren't boycotting Facebook the way they did YouTube.

"No advertiser has concern at this time because, I think, the connection is too indirect for most consumers to appreciate even if it seems plain as day to someone studying the business closely," Wieser said.

It may take someone putting together a clear argument that resonates with large groups of people for the connection to become more problematic, he said.

But brand-safety issues for networks and platforms could become more of an issue in the future because of changing expectations of consumers.

"I think millennials and young people want to align with platforms and brands that are extensions of their values and their principles," Joseph Anthony, CEO of New York based advertising firm Hero Group, told Business Insider.

"I think that the networks are not insulated from that, especially as you see more young people cut the cord and starting to look at more on demand platforms and there are a lot more options out there."

The digital media company Attn: has made ads for IBM, Freeform, and Everytown for Gun Safety in recent weeks ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections.

Some of the ads have the company's logo, but the publisher is also experimenting with white-label content for brands like Sprite.

Taking a stand can backfire for brands — think Pepsi and Starbucks — but Attn: says its advocacy background can help brands find the right messaging.

Sprite's newest ad campaign is less a commercial than a public service announcement to vote.

The campaign, called "Get Vocal," encourages people to record and upload a video of themselves freestyling about an issue they care about. Clips are then pulled into a microsite and distributed through social media.

Some of the user-uploaded videos wade heavily into political territory.

"Police killing all my people, yeah they wildin' / So I gotta take a knee like I'm Colin," Izze the Producer raps, referring to Colin Kaepernick, the NFL quarterback who last year started kneeling during the national anthem before games to protest racial inequality and police brutality.

It's the kind of work that a few years ago may have been deemed too risky for brands to weigh in on. But as they increasingly wade into political issues, brands like Sprite and others are hoping to connect with younger consumers.

Behind the scenes of the campaign is Attn:, a digital publisher that has used its roots in civic engagement and its massive audience of these younger consumers to crank out a handful of voting- and cause-related campaigns for brands leading up to the midterm elections on Tuesday.

"Being apolitical or non-issue-driven is no longer an option with millennial and Gen Z consumers," Attn: CEO Matthew Segal told Business Insider. "Brands now know that they need to take a position or stand for something — or at the very least stand for civic engagement in the year 2018."

Brands are pushing people to the polls

Several brands have dived into hot-button issues over the past few years, and some have been more successful (like Nike and Patagonia) than others (like Starbucks and Pepsi).

Katie Canales/Business Insider

Ahead of the midterms, a coalition of 150 companies has poured money into encouraging consumers to vote and tweaking policies to allow employees time off to vote.

Brands are trying to make sense of what they should say

Attn: created the microsite for Sprite's campaign and stitched together some of the clips into videos being distributed on the brand's social channels. VFiles, a fashion-geared social-media platform, sourced some of the talent for the campaign.

In addition to Sprite, Attn: has also worked with IBM, Freeform, and Everytown for Gun Safety on voting-related campaigns over the past few months.

Similar to its editorial content, Attn:'s branded content aims to break down complex issues into easy-to-understand videos. Before founding the company, Segal ran the voter-empowerment organization Our Time.

For IBM, Attn: created a two-minute Facebook clip titled "Why Your Vote May Be at Risk This November" to explain misinformation and voting schemes.

And for Freeform, the two media companies used their talent to create a series of PSAs, airing on TV and social media, that focus on the statistic that the average voter waited in line for 11 minutes to vote in the 2016 presidential election, comparing it with the amount of time people spend on things like scrolling through Instagram.

Attn: is making white-label content for brands

The Freeform and IBM campaigns use Attn:'s audience for distribution.

But the Sprite campaign is a bit different. Attn:'s logo isn't splashed on the videos, nor is it distributed across the publisher's network of social platforms. It's an example of white-label work that the publisher is taking on for brands and is based on insights instead of reliant on its audience.

"A lot of our partners obviously want our audience and distribution, but I think we have a lot of value to add that can certainly rival some ad agencies, so to speak," Segal said. "I think brands not only know that we know how to produce spots for social media, but also know that we have a finger on the pulse on how young people feel and how to best make these topics digestible."

Taryn Crouthers, the head of brand partnerships at Attn:, said that about half of the company's work with brands on corporate-social-responsibility campaigns came from brainstorming together, as opposed to issuing requests for proposals.

"Brands are coming to Attn: because they value the fact that we understand how to talk and speak about these complex issues in a way that's both entertaining but also informative," she said.

Attn: is also paying to make its own voting-themed editorial content, including videos with former President Barack Obama and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Now is the time to shine up that video strategy. According to new Brightcove data video is influencing more and more purchases, especially among Millennials and younger buyers. In fact, about 85% of Millennials surveyed for Brightcove's 2018 Video Marketing Survey say they've been influenced to purchase something because of digital video.

Amazon isn't just for ordering your monthly supply of toilet paper and K-cups - the site is a treasure trove of designer must haves worthy of every fashion girl's attention. If you're on the hunt for stylish, quality gifts that are easy to order, Amazon is your BFF. It can be overwhelming to shop through the retailer, so we hand-selected a collection of gift-worthy essentials many women would be thrilled to unwrap. Shop through our favorites and get ahead on the holiday season.

WEDNESDAY

COMMUNITY

1. Civic Cocktail: Protecting Orcas + Election Review
For this installment of Civic Cocktail, Q13 News analyst C.R. Douglas and Seattle Times reporter Lynda Mapes will serve as guest panelists in a discussion on two important topics: Southern Resident Killer Whale recovery and a review of the midterm elections (during which time Pramila Jayapal, KTTH radio host Jason Rantz, and Seattle University political science professor Marco Lowe will join in).

FILM

2. Far Out
Saturate your eyeballs with sweeping views of a remote and largely unexplored mountain range, the Albanian Alps, as well as the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia, the Crazy Mountains in Montana, the Slovenian Alps, Jackson Hole, and more, as explored by athletic adventurers. Proceeds from the screening will benefit the Northwest Avalanche Center.

3. The Reluctant Radical
Environmental activist Ken Ward commits crimes against the fossil fuel industry in order to fight against climate change. Join Ward himself, along with filmmaker Lindsey Grayzel, for a post-film Q&A.

4. Somm 3: Seattle Premiere
Three wine connoisseurs meet in Paris to drink the rarest bottles of vin, while blind tasters in New York settle an age-old argument about the drink. This screening of Somm 3 will also feature a Q&A with three newly minted Seattle sommeliers, as well as a Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon toast.

6. A Night of Coffee Beers feat. Caffe Vita
Seattle loves its coffee and its beer, so Redhook has combined the two for their two coffee beers: Kaffenator, a small-batch coffee dopplebock made in collaboration with Caffe Vita, and Continuous Revelation Coffee IPA, a new limited release. They'll have both available for happy hour, along with food pairings and Caffe Vita swag and coffee samples.

8. Science of Coffee: Sustainability
At this workshop hosted by Onda Coffee and Ada's, listen to environment and agriculture experts discuss how climate change is affecting the future of coffee and how sustainable farming practices can help.

9. Scotch and Oysters
Indulge in the somewhat peculiar pairing of briny oysters and peaty Scotch.

GEEK

10. Harry Potter Trivia
Take advantage of an opportunity to briefly escape the muggle world at this Harry Potter trivia night.

PERFORMANCE

11. ElectroThrust
Watch sexy persons pay tribute to electronica with signature slinky moves. Admire Jonny Porkpie (your MC), Queen Inga, Dee Flowered (all the way from Georgia)!, Di Lovely (from San Diego!), Indy Fire (Denver), and many other beauties from across the US and even that most torrid of countries, Canada.

13. ALT Poetry Reading and Open Mic
Head to a night of poetry readings with A Gallo-Brown, L Swartz, and T Clear, and read your own in an open mic if you're brave.

14. L.A. Kauffman: How to Read a Protest
At this Town Hall talk, author and activist L.A. Kauffman will outline the history of America's most important protest movements from the 1963 March on Washington on. If you're curious about whether protests achieve anything, how they've changed, and what messages they carry, this is for you.

15. Paul Dorpat and Jean Sherrard on Now and Then
Historian Paul Dorpat has been collecting photo columns in Seattle for years. Join him as he presents a retrospective of his work—you'll learn some interesting things about the historical trajectory of Seattle.

16. Suzanne M. Wolfe: A Murder by Any Name
If you love historical fiction set in Elizabethan England, join Suzanne M. Wolfe as she reads from her latest novel about the murder of Queen Elizabeth I's most beloved lady-in-waiting, A Murder by Any Name.

17. Suzanne Matson: Ultraviolet
In Suzanne Matson’s new novel, Ultraviolet, we meet three generations of women in 1930s India. Hear the author read.

WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY-SUNDAY

ART

18. Good Mourning: An Interactive Arts Festival About Grief
This series invites artists from Seattle and beyond to show work across mediums that addresses grief. Pieces include a panel from the NAMES Project's AIDS memorial quilt; a video game called "Loss Levels" by digital artist Dan Hett; a community art piece called "Arts & Casket," where visitors can decorate a cardboard cremation casket; zines by Christina Tran; a soft sculpture by Elise Bernal; jewelry about "parental fears" by Sara Eileen; and more. Opening Wednesday

22. The 35th Annual Olympia Film Festival
The 35th Annual Olympia Film Festival will work with the theme “Inclusion, Independence, Discovery,” with 50 features and shorts created by a diverse range of filmmakers and artists.

PERFORMANCE

23. Roald Dahl's 'Matilda'
A psychokinetic genius girl faces down an evil, bullying school principal in the musical based on Roald Dahl's messed-up kids' novel.

THURSDAY

ART

24. Art for All Ball
Enjoy an evening of "Painting! Music! Poetry! Performance! Community! Bubbles! Dinner! Dancing!" with Path With Art students (all of whom are working to overcome homelessness, addiction, and other trauma) as they celebrate 10 years of creativity.

25. Intro to Calligraphy
Impress your holiday card recipients by learning to write out the alphabet in beautiful, swirly strokes.

COMMUNITY

26. From the CEO's Perspective
A panel of CEOs (Scott McFarlane of Avalara, Sharelle Klaus of Dry Soda Co., and Aaron Easterly of Rover.com) will talk about how their Northwest businesses are addressing the tough times brought on by our current administration.

28. Free Screening of “Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey”
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center will screen the award-winning documentary Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey, about one very courageous and pioneering mountain climber, as a "thank you" to the Fred Hutch-affiliated organization Climb to Fight.

29. Hecklevision: Dunea
If you haven't playfully jeered—if not aggressively ridiculed—the screen while watching David Lynch's film adaption of Dune, we respect your tolerance for cheesiness. If you have, here's your chance to send your heckling texts straight to the big screen for the rest of the audience to enjoy.

FOOD & DRINK

30. American Purple Limited Edition Release
Be the first to try Elysian's new extremely limited American Purple beer, an American-Style Flanders Red aged in Chardonnay barrels with blackberry puree and a blend of yeasts, and tap into your painterly side with art supplies to customize your own growler.

PERFORMANCE

31. The Detention Lottery
In this educational and interactive theater project, you or your randomly selected fictional family member from the audience will be detained and have to stand before an immigration judge, who will determine your fate.

33. David Skover: Robotica
Local authors David Skover and Ronald Collins will explore the relationship bettween "machine speech" and artificial intelligence in relation to free speech. The authors ask: "Is robotic expression 'speech' within the meaning of the First Amendment?"

35. An Evening with Grace Bonney
Join Design*Sponge founder and In the Company of Women author Grace Bonney for a reception and live taping for the first season of her new podcast, discussing various challenges faced by entrepreneurs and creatives. The event will also celebrate the release of the second issue of her new magazine, Good Company (the "Fearless Issue").

36. Jill Lightner: Scraps, Peels, and Stems
According to the organizers, every person in the United States throws out nearly 20 pounds of food each month. Join Jill Lightner, author of Scraps, Peels, and Stems, for some tips on how to make use of all that good stuff.

37. NW Literary Survival Kit
Expand your knowledge of Northwest authors with the best teachers in town: Local librarians.

38. Renee Simms: Meet Behind Mars
Welcome Renee Simms, who teaches African American Studies at the University of Puget Sound, for a reading of her first book of stories, which covers a variety of genres (realist, satirical, and "fabulist" according to novelist Dr. Asali Solomon) with African American characters.

39. Sarah Cannon: The Shame of Losing
At the age of 32, Sarah Cannon's husband Matt was badly injured by a falling tree branch. In this memoir, which she'll read from tonight, the prominent Edmonds-based essayist uses diary entries, introspective letters, and other non-linear devices to flesh out themes of pain, loss, and difficult choices.

SPORTS & RECREATION

40. Pray for Snow
Summon a snowy winter on the mountain by busting out your '80s neon ski garb, dancing to live music by Nite Wave, seeing an "epic ski film" and a retro ski fashion show, and filling up on fried confections in a Twinkie Roast. Proceeds will benefit the Northwest Avalanche Center.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY

PERFORMANCE

41. American Horror Story: Drag Show
Admit it, American Horror Story has been screaming for a drag tribute ever since the ghost in the gimp suit showed up in Season One. Irene Dubois and SHE will host this post-Halloween fright fest, featuring special guest Bosco.

42. Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker
A cast of touring ballet dancers from Moscow will take their 26th tour across the United States to perform the Great Russian Nutcracker, which promises puppets and amazing costumes.

THURSDAY-SATURDAY

ART

43. Michael Doyle: Pantry
Explore domestic spaces and more with Michael Doyle's paintings and works on paper. Closing Saturday

45. LIFT
The action of LIFT takes place over a mere minute among riders of a London tube passing through Covent Garden, but this time stretches through the mental existence of the characters. Gregory Award-winning actor/director Richard Gray will direct.

46. Much Ado About Nothing
Continuing their "Pursuit" series, indie company Fern Shakespeare will stage Much Ado About Nothing with an all-womxn cast. Everything ends well in this comedy of hearsay, but not before gossip and malice nearly ruin some innocent lives.

48. Homelessness: the Disgrace of a Wealthy Nation
Keith Artz's installation inside the Maple Leaf Lutheran Church, which has hosted a tent city and hosts a shelter, addresses one of the most urgent problems in our city. Closing Friday

50. Adult Swim
If you have kids, leave 'em at home and experience the Seattle Aquarium after hours. KEXP DJ Troy Nelson will spin party jams, and you can enjoy you fill of drinks and hors d’oeuvres while you visit with a giant Pacific octopus, among other things.

52. Wine Women & Shoes
For wine enthusiasts and shoe fetishists of Sex and the City proportions, this fundraiser raising money for foster kids in Washington will include wine and culinary tastings, auctions, shopping, a raffle, a "Best in Shoe" competition, a fashion show, and hunky "Shoe Guys."

FILM

53. Meaningful Movies: To Err Is Human
At this Meaningful Movies screening, see a documentary about "the silent epidemic" of patient harm and other flaws in the US healthcare system.

GEEK & GAMING

54. Essen Import Party
Open your game-loving mind to titles from all over the world, as showcased in Essen, Germany's SPIEL trade show.

56. Nearly Dan
Steely Dan were one of the smartest bands to consistently rack up platinum records. They got away with singing blisteringly acerbic lyrics and executing complex key changes and tricky time signatures while accruing crazy air time on commercial radio, back when that meant something. So a band dedicated to paying tribute to Steely Dan has to be sharper than your typical homage outfit. Nearly Dan’s 12 members (who’ve played with Ray Charles, the Four Tops, the Temptations, Gladys Knight, and, most importantly, Huey Lewis) are up to the task, interpreting the hits and deep cuts with a professionalism that would impress Donald Fagen and the late Walter Becker’s accountants.
DAVE SEGAL

PERFORMANCE

57. Abby London is "Miss-Chievous"
Idahoan musician Abby London will bring her one-woman variety show filled with "costumes, baton, piano, guitar, vocals, and then some" to Greenwood.

59. The Lalas
The Lalas of LA, seen in Justin Timberlake videos and at the Emmys, promise a sexy, interactive, comedic show.

60. Watch What Crappens
A podcast for Bravo junkies and skeptics will visit Seattle fans. Hosts Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam are guaranteed to go into exhaustive detail.

READINGS & TALKS

61. Blair Imani: Modern HerStory
Blair Imani will be ready to educate you with her book Modern HerStory, all about the women, people of color, queers, disabled people, and others who've been sidelined by traditional narratives of progress.

62. Coffee & Concepts
UW School of Drama hosts this series of talks by scholars and practitioners, aimed at students and the general public. The series will wrap up with drama scholar Stefka Mihaylova.

63. A Kink in the Cure
Tim Murray's multimedia show is a sex-positive story of healing through kink.

64. Reading with Ravenna Press
Join contributors of Ravenna Press, which "prides itself on bringing together the discerning reader and the stimulating book," for a reading.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

COMEDY

65. Mark Normand
Mark Normand can boast appearances on Comedy Central, Conan, Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Inside Amy Schumer, and many other hit shows. He's also won first place at the Great American Comedy Festival. He'll share some of that Brooklynite humor.

MUSIC

66. Women in Song Series
Celebrate womxn musicians at this six-part live music series, this time with Annie Phalen Group, Five Letter Word, Del Rey, and Salt Luck.

PERFORMANCE

67. Bindlestiff Seattle
Amoy Barya, Godsilya and Chunky Chonkeez will help document the lives of 1930s Filipino farm workers with a performance of Carlos Bulosan’s America is in the Heart.

SHOPPING

68. The Great Junk Hunt
Scavenge for vintage and repurposed goods of all kinds at this traveling market.

69. Newport Ski and Snowboard Swap 2018
Winter sports season is fast approaching, so now's a good time to swap gear you don't want for gear you do want. Here you can find over 10,000 new and used snow sport items.

71. Seattle International Auto Show
This isn't your typical neighborhood car display—the Seattle International Auto Show provides rodders and gearheads with four days of luxury test drives, demos, family activities, and more from tons of exhibitors. Don't miss Women's Day on Friday.

73. Framed
Art criticism's stakes grow unnaturally high in Y York's play about love and rivalry amongst two artists and their husbands, one of whom is a mob boss, the other a wannabe made man. A production by Snowflake Avalanche.

SATURDAY

78. The Universal Works Repaired Event
Universal Works debut a collaboration of repurposed garments with design company Atelier & Repairs for guests to peruse and purchase. The pieces in this trunk show widely feature the Japanese-style Sashiko repair stitch, hand painting, and second-hand trims and fabrics.

82. Seattle Black Panther Party Youth Empowerment Summit
Young people continue to show up at the helm of social justice movements, from Black Lives Matter to #MeToo to March for our Lives. The Youth Empowerment Summit continues the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party's Seattle branch, where youth community organizers from around the city gather to share political education, organize around important causes, and build relationships.

83. Seattle Celebration for the Animals!
Snack on tasty vegan snacks, drinks, and desserts, bid on items in a silent auction, and join a dance party in support of the Humane League efforts "to reduce animal suffering."

84. Wreath Making Workshop
Make a festive holiday wreath using real pine cones and acorns, cool ribbon, and a fresh assortment of Evergreen trimmings.

FOOD & DRINK

85. 2 Year AnniFREEsary
To celebrate two years of business, Ounces will buy Delfino's Chicago-Style Pizza for 200 customers and release their anniversary beer brewed in collaboration with Matchless Brewing and Chainline Brewing Company, in addition to giving away more freebies and swag.

88. Eat Like Your ORIJEN Dog
This brunch hosted by the "biologically appropriate" ORIJEN dog food brand invites you to "eat like your dog" with a menu inspired by the fresh, local ingredients in their dog food, accompanied by beer, wine, and coffee. The first 50 guests will receive a "doggie bag" of party favors to take home.

89. Eleventh Anniversary Party
Turn it up to 11 with Two Beers's anniversary party, which will include a celebratory Birthday Cake IPA brewed with lactose sugar and vanilla bean, plus special beers on tap, actual cake, and gastropub grub from the Bread and Circuses food truck.

90. Populuxe Beer Can Derby
To celebrate the can release of Populuxe Brewing's IPA and CDA, test your engineering skills by crafting your own beer can car and racing it down a pinewood derby track.

92. Harry Potter Films Trivia NightHarry Potter fans who appreciate the movies just as much as the books can answer trivia questions based on the eight films.

MUSIC

93. From The Silver Screen
In a program directed by maestro Alan Futterman, the Bremerton Symphony will perform a triad of pieces from 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Blue Danube by J. Strauss, Zarathustra Opening by R. Strauss, Ligeti's Lux Aeterna, Bach's Passacaglia, Leopold Stokowski's Fugue in C Minor from The Godfather, and John Williams's E.T. theme.

97. WAVES Presents: Biolumina
Immerse yourself in a bioluminescent space by pretending you're a glowing sea creature at this dreamy electronic dance party and installation.

READINGS & TALKS

98. CoCA and La Sala present: Literary Readings and Discussion
Artists J.A. Dela Cruz-Smith and Maiah A Merino will talk about their creative processes in a Q&A moderated by Catalina Cantu of La Sala. In addition, representatives of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project will talk about their organization.

103. Celluloid Bainbridge Film Festival
This festival used to only show films made by Bainbridge Island filmmakers, but it's since expanded to include work from Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, and British Columbia. This year brings a 20th anniversary retrospective (on Sunday), which will revisit highlights from year's past, including Boomtown, Outsourced, The Gefilte Fish Chronicles, and Birth of a Salesman.

PERFORMANCE

104. 14/48:HS
Support talented local teens by watching 14 world-premiere plays written, directed, produced, and performed by high schoolers.

SHOPPING

105. 35th Annual Glitter Sale
Seattle's Goodwill flagship store will be filled with the absolute sparkliest clothes, shoes, and accessories for its glorious annual two-day Glitter Sale. Whether you're looking to find something flashy for a big event or you want the contents of your closet to better resemble a sea of gems, this is the place to go.

106. Latvian Christmas Bazaar
While you shop for handmade crafts and jewelry by local Latvian artists, try cakes, piragi (rolled bread), and Christmas cookies, and take in a traditional dance performance.

SUNDAY

109. Armistice Day Centennial Commemoration
Armistice Day turns 100 years old this year, and this celebration will mark the centennial with an opening ceremony, featuring the ringing of the historic Great Seattle Fire bell and a wreath-laying ceremony. Afterwards, there will be special events at the museum including historical presentations and viewing opportunities for their WW1 America archival exhibition, and a round-trip cruise on Lake Union to UW’s WWI Navy seaplane hangar.

110. NW Marxism Conference 2018
This conference offers educational sessions that combat the far-right sensibilities of the current administration. Stop by "From #MeToo to Women's Liberation," "Revolutionary Socialism, Democratic Socialism, and Social Democracy," "Fascism: What It Is and How To Fight It," and more.

FESTIVALS

111. Seattle Slack Key Festival
This all-day music festival is dedicated to Kanikapila-style Hawaiian music, which makes use of the open-tuned slack key guitar (as well as the steel guitar and the ukulele). A few of this year's musicians include Ledward Kaapana, George Kuo, Jeff Peterson, Kunia Galdeira, Sonny Lim, and Jeff Au Hoy.

FILM

112. Hecklevision: Starship Troopers
Rather than make fun of the '90s mystery/thriller Starship Troopers out loud, send your snarky texts straight to the big screen for the rest of the audience to see.

113. Moving History: Sticky Shed Syndrome - An Archival Screening
Moving Image Preservation of Puget Sound presents the latest installment of Moving History: an archival screening called Sticky Shed Syndrome, featuring footage collected from the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum, the King County Archives, the Museum of History and Industry, Scarecrow Video, and elsewhere.

FOOD & DRINK

114. Bizzarro Bizarre Bazaar and Wine Tasting
While you taste wine for free (!), peruse paintings by Chris Crites, jewelry by LM-Inspired, knitwear by Ravel and Unravel, holiday gifts by Wabi and Sabi Co., and magnets by Denise Reed.

116. Childsplay: Fiddlers, Fiddles, and Fiddlemaker with Karan Casey
Folksy supergroup Childsplay is comprised of fiddlers from across the Celtic world and the U.S., featuring Irish singer Karan Casey. They'll celebrate their first show in Seattle since 1992 with their band of 14 fiddlers and nine instrumentalists, dancers, and singers.

120. The DA (Dumbledore's Army)
This all-ages fundraiser for the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle (who provide funds for local LGBTQ+ services) will take the form of a Harry Potter drag show with kings and queens alike.

121. Stormy Daniels DREAM GIRLS at Sodo
Stormy Daniels will perform in Sodo on her Support the Troops tour, where veterans and active military personnel will get free admission.
READINGS & TALKS

125. Rita Wirkala
Seattle-based Argentinian writer Rita Wirkala is responsible for a wide range of novels, poetry, literary essays, and textbooks. Tonight, she'll read from her most recent English-language book of short stories, Tales for The Dreamer.

Did former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg just take a page out of the playbook of Sen. Ed Muskie from half a century ago?

In his first off-year election in 1970, President Richard Nixon ran a tough attack campaign to hold the 52 House seats the GOP had added in ’66 and ’68, and to pick up a few more seats in the Senate.

The issue: law and order. The targets: the “radical liberals.”

In that campaign’s final hours, Muskie delivered a statesmanlike address from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, excoriating the “unprecedented volume” of “name-calling” and “deceptions” from the “highest offices in the land.”

Nixon picked up a pair of Senate seats, but Democrats gained a dozen House seats, and the press scored it as a victory for Muskie, who was vaulted into the lead position for the 1972 Democratic nomination.

In the final days of this election, Bloomberg just invested $5 million to air, twice nationally, a two-minute ad for the Democratic Party that features Bloomberg himself denouncing the “fear-mongering,” and “shouting and hysterics” coming out of Washington.

“Americans are neither naive nor heartless,” says the mayor. “We can be a nation of immigrants while also securing our borders.”

That $5 million ad buy was only Bloomberg’s latest contribution to the Democratic Party during an election campaign into which he had already plunged $110 million of his own money.

Contributions of this magnitude support the idea that Bloomberg will seek the presidential nomination as a Democrat. With resources like this at his disposal, and a willingness to spend into the hundreds of millions, he could last in the primaries as long as he wants.

Yet, Bloomberg is no Ed Muskie, who had been Hubert Humphrey’s running mate in 1968 and was widely regarded a top contender for 1972.

The mayor has been a Republican and independent as well as a Democrat. And as The Washington Post’s Robert Costa relates, Bloomberg has drawbacks:

“He speaks flatly with the faded Boston accent from his youth, devoid of partisan passion and with a technocratic emphasis.”

With the energy of the Democratic Party coming from militants, minorities and millennials, would these true believers rally to a 76-year-old Manhattan media magnate who wants to make their party more centrist and problem-solving, and to start beavering away at cutting the deficit?

Yet Bloomberg’s opening move may force the pace of the politics of 2020. Should he announce, and start spending on ads, he could force the hand of Vice President Joe Biden, who appears the Democrats’ strongest candidate in taking back Pennsylvania, and the states of the industrial Midwest, from Trump.

On the left wing of the Democratic Party, which seems certain to have a finalist in the run for the 2020 nomination, the competition is stiff and the pressure to move early equally great.

If Socialist Bernie Sanders is not to lock up this wing of the party as he did in 2016, Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kamala Harris of California, and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts may have to move soon.

But even before attention can turn to the presidential race, the U.S. House of Representatives seems certain to witness a leadership battle.

Nancy Pelosi is determined to become speaker again if Democrats take the House today, while the Congressional Black Caucus has entered a demand for one of the two top positions in the House.

Millennials also want new leadership. And to many centrist Democrats in swing districts, Pelosi as the visible voice and face of the national party remains a perpetual problem.

If the Democrats fail to recapture the House, the recriminations will be sweeping and the demand for new leadership overwhelming.

But even if they do capture the House, the rewards may be fleeting.

A Democratic House will be a natural foil for President Trump, an institution with responsibility but without real power.

And should the economy, which has been running splendidly under a Republican Congress and president start to sputter under a divided Congress, there is no doubt that the Democratic House majority, with its anti-capitalist left and socialist ideology, would emerge as the primary suspect.

Also, if Democrats win the House, Maxine Waters could be the new chair of the House Committee on Financial Services, Adam Schiff the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Jerrold Nadler of New York the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, the repository for resolutions of impeachment. Does that look like a winning lineup?

2019 is thus shaping up to be a year of gridlock on Capitol Hill, with the Senate attempting to expeditiously move through Trump’s nominated judges, and a Democratic House potentially hassling the White House and Trump administration with a snowstorm of subpoenas.

This could be the kind of battleground Donald Trump relishes.

A victorious Democratic Party today could be set up to take the fall, both for gridlock and any major reversal in the progress of the economy.

Amazon isn't just for ordering your monthly supply of toilet paper and K-cups - the site is a treasure trove of designer must haves worthy of every fashion girl's attention. If you're on the hunt for stylish, quality gifts that are easy to order, Amazon is your BFF. It can be overwhelming to shop through the retailer, so we hand-selected a collection of gift-worthy essentials many women would be thrilled to unwrap. Shop through our favorites and get ahead on the holiday season.

Some things stick with us forever, and for Julia Roberts, it was a 1999 red carpet moment. On Sunday night, the actress sat down with Busy Philipps for her new late-night TV show, Busy Tonight, where the host raved about Roberts's new Amazon Prime show, Homecoming, and how she's been a longtime JR fan. Philipps wasted no time before asking the actress about the 1999 London premiere of Notting Hill, where Roberts stunned in a red sequined dress and flashed unshaven armpit hair while waving during an interview.

Well, Roberts is now revealing that it wasn't a feminist declaration but simply an accident. "I think I just hadn't really calculated my sleeve length and the waving, and how those two things would go together and reveal personal things about me," she said in the video, adding that the red carpet photo "is vivid in my mind."

"It wasn't so much a 'statement,' as it's just part of the statement I make as a human on the planet." More recently, celebrities like Paris Jackson, Lady Gaga, and Bella Thorne have ditched their razors in the name of feminism. Last year, a study conducted among 2,000 millennial women found that 87 percent agreed there's "too much pressure on women to remove or groom body hair." Watch Roberts's interview with Philipps ahead, and see photos of the red carpet moment.

Zayn, the former One Directioner-turned-totally-solo artist, has released what’s probably the most millennial of his latest tracks in Fingers. On it, the singer struggles to overcome his nerves while sending a text to his crush. Polaroid is a song by DJ and record producer Jonas Blue, English singer Liam Payne and Canadian singer Lennon Stella. The Visionary Music Group artist decides to return to the scene today and share the first single off the album called Conversations With My Wife. Singer-songwriter Scott Helman has released his latest single, Hang Ups. Following in tone of the pop music of fellow Canadian artists of the likes of Shawn Mendes, Hang Ups is a simple, catchy, and brief track that is built around a funky, muted guitar line and Helman’s soft vocals set over an electronic groove.

In the world of sketch comedy, there is no fraternity more prestigious than the “Saturday Night Live Five-Timers Club.” Those who have proven their worthiness by hosting “SNL” five times are invited into an elite club where they get to watch current cast members fight to the death for their entertainment while wearing luxurious satin robes. With longtime member Tom Hanks hosting this week, let’s look back at every person who has joined this club.

Buck Henry: From 1976 to 1980, it was tradition for the “Heaven Can Wait” director to host the “SNL” season finale. In total, Henry hosted ten episodes, including a Mardi Gras special.

Steve Martin: The esteemed president of the Five-Timers Club was also the fastest to get to that milestone, hosting his fifth less than two years after hosting his first. In total, Martin has hosted fifteen times, most recently in 2009.

Elliot Gould: Gould hosted the show five times in the 70s, but stopped hosting after his sixth appearance after being blindsided by the sudden departure of Lorne Michaels from the show in 1980.

Paul Simon: Technically, Simon only hosted four times, but he owns arguably the most emotional moment in the history of “SNL”: his performance of “The Boxer” in the cold open of the first post-9/11 episode.

Chevy Chase: The original anchor of “Weekend Update” hosted “SNL” eight times after being the first original cast member to leave in the middle of the show’s second season.

Candice Bergen: Bergen was the first woman to host “SNL” and hosted five times from 1975 to 1990.

Tom Hanks: Hanks’ fifth go-around as host in 1990 was what spawned the Five-Timers Club sketch. 2016 marks his eighth time on the show.

Danny DeVito: Shortly after playing The Penguin in “Batman Returns,” DeVito joined the club with an “SNL” appearance in January 1993.

Alec Baldwin: Not counting his many guest appearances to play guys like Donald Trump, Baldwin has hosted 16 times, passing Steve Martin‘s record in 2011. Martin was there that night to demand a surprise drug test.

Bill Murray: After starring on the show from seasons 2-5, Murray hosted five times in the 80s and 90s.

Christopher Walken: Walken was the first person to join the Five-Timers Club in the 21st Century, making his fifth appearance in May 2001.

Drew Barrymore: Though we haven’t seen her in a Five-Timers’ robe, her portrait has been seen in the club’s luxurious quarters. She holds the record for youngest host ever, having appeared on the show at age 7 following the release of “E.T.” in 1982.

Justin Timberlake: The pop star’s fifth appearance in 2013 saw “SNL” bring back the “Five-Timers” sketch, as Timberlake’s induction was celebrated with a brawl between current cast members Bobby Moynihan and Taran Killam.

Ben Affleck: The man “SNL” once mocked for making “Gigli” joined the Five-Timers club in 2013, shortly after winning the Best Picture Oscar for “Argo.”

Tina Fey: She’s arguably the most famous “SNL” cast member among millennials, and she joined the Club in 2015 after a hosting career that included her famous Sarah Palin impression

Melissa McCarthy: After a season of guest appearances as Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, McCarthy grabbed her Five-Timers jacket in Season 42.

"The United States seems to be contemplating war with Russia, Iran, China, or all three Washington pushes NATO ever closer to Russia, leaves the nuclear-missile treaty and tries to destroy both countries and China economically. Why the push for war?

Simple. Asia is awakening. China (from which I have just returned) grows economically at a scorching pace–and all power rests on economic power. China is a large country, America a medium-sized one. America’s roughly two hundred million whites do virtually all of the scientific work on which national power depends. China has a billion increasingly educated Han Chinese, a five-to-one advantage. China’s stated aim is to united Eurasia among other places in one vast commercial union. Washington’s pugnacity has pushed China, Ira, and Russia together. The chain of nations, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey all totter between looking east and looking west. If Washington doesn’t stop this growth, the American Empire will be marginalized within decades. This doesn’t threaten the American public. It threatens the Empire and Israel.

What would a war with Russia look like, even assuming that it didn’t go nuclear? A great military thinker–me, actually–once said that military stupidity comes in three levels: normally stupid; really really stupid; and invading Russia. From Chuck XII to Adolf I it has proved a poor career move.

The US military has not won a war since 1945, with the exception of the First Gulf War, which the LAPD could have won. It lost decisively in Vietnam. It got run out of Lebanon with 241 dead Marines as its only accomplishment. After seventeen years it shows no signs of defeating barely armed Afghan peasants. Iraq has been a complete botch, achieving none of its goals, control of the oil, permanent bases, and a puppet government. Just now the military is losing in Syria.

Nothing short of genius can account for losing so consistently given the enormous resources available to American forces. In light of this very low level of military competence, maybe wars are not our best choice of hobby.

What sort of war is envisaged? The United States cannot fight a sizable land war. Iran can. Russia can. The American military means air power and little else. The Army hasn’t fought a serious war since 1973, the fleet since 1945. In long periods of inaction, things deteriorate because they do not seem important. Crucial supplies cease to exist, spare parts aren’t there, the logistics train quietly becomes inoperable. Money goes instead to pricey weapons of little practical use.

The Army recruits from a soft millennial population. America is no longer a country of tough rural kids. Social engineering has rotted the ranks. The military has suffered years of feminization, SJW appeasement, affirmative action, lowered physical standards, and LGBTQ insertion. Conscription is politically impossible. The Army cannot defeat Afghans even with the advantages of unlimited air power, artillery, gun ships, medevac, helicopters, and drones, It would last a very short time if it had to fight the Afghans or Iranians, on even terms. Muslims are more virile than today’s Americans and have proven tenacious.

A military that never fights a war that it has to win, that never encounters an enemy that can dangerously hit back, inevitably deteriorates. Militaries come to believe their own propaganda. So, apparently, do the feral mollycoddles in the White House and New York. The American military’s normal procedure is to overestimate American power, underestimate the enemy, and misunderstand the kind of war it is getting into. Should Washington decide on war with Iran, or Russia (unless by a surprise nuclear strike) there will be the usual talk of the most powerful, best trained, best equipped etc., and how the Ivans and towelheads will melt away in days, a cakewalk. Bet me.

Militaries have a very poor record of predicting outcomes of wars. This might provoke thought. The American Civil War was expected to be over in an afternoon; this was wrong by 650,000 dead and four years. When Napoleon invaded Russia, he did not expect Russians to occupy Paris. Germany thought that WWI would be a war of movement over in weeks; in fact a ghastly war of attrition lasting four years. When Japan attacked Pearl, it was not intentionally inviting GIs to the geisha houses of Tokyo. When Germany invaded Poland, occupation of Germany by Russia and America was low on its list of expectations. When France re-invaded Vietnam, it did not foresee Dien Bien Phu and utter defeat by les jaunes. When America invaded Vietnam, it did not expect a decade-long losing war. When Russia invaded Afghanistan it did not expect to lose to Afghans in sandals. When America invaded Afghanistan, having seen what had happened to Russia, it did not expect the same result.

We do not know what a war with Iran, or Russia, or China would look like or what the Iranians might do. An overconfident military and an inexperienced government in Washington will predictably predict a short war and speak of precision weapons and surgical strikes. The Navy will guarantee that it can keep the Straits open, and speak of its advanced technology. The expectation will be that there will be nothing unexpected. The White House will believe that Iran will lie there and be bombed without response. Russia? The nukes will fall on the European countries from which the attack came. Germany might ponder this carefully.

America could of course destroy much of Iran and kill millions of the defenseless. This is what America now calls “war.” It would be amusing to see what would happen if the Air Force had to fight an enemy that could fight back, but this would mean only Russia or, perhaps, just possibly, barely, to some extent, China. It is a coward’s way of war and, to judge by South Vietnam and Afghanistan, not very effective. Killing lots of people and winning a war are not the same thing.

What if Iran did stop petroleum traffic in the Persian Gulf with, say, missiles mounted on pickup trucks. Is this possible? I don’t know. Neither, I suspect, does the Navy–which will insist that it can handle mere pickup trucks with its superb this and that, its best trained, best equipped, the only hyper-power, and so on. But tankers are not going to run even a small risk of going up in flames. How long would the Straits have to be closed with the world screaming for oil before Washington, desperate, its vanity bruised, full of huge egos, would have to do something stupid to save face?

Further, American leadership is of dangerously low quality. An essentially absentee Congress, the sordidness and criminality of the Clintons, Trump’s utter crassness and shady past, the submission to Israel, the widespread and never punished corruption. In this sorry brew no one seems interested in the well being of the county, only unseemly grasping at benefits for the arms industry, big oil, Wall Street, Tel Aviv, and the Empire. Note that wars generate huge profits for the arms makers and the longer the war can be kept going, neither winning nor losing, the greater the profits. War against Iran would be a magnificent profit center. Since American casualties are extremely low, permanent war has few downsides.

At the top of government we have an unprepossessing bunch that would make Kaiser Wilhelm’s court seem wholesome. Their chief characteristics are pathological aggressiveness and a severe case of Beltway Bubble Syndrome. There is Trump with his weird eruptions. The ever-combative Nikki Haley. Steve Bannon, prophesying and hoping for war with China. Mike Pompeo, threatening Iran, threatening, Venezuela, threatening North Korea. John Bolton of the codiece mustaches, always counseling a war he won’t fight in, like Trump a drat dodger with something to prove. The life of millions depends on this freak show? I need a drink.”

Seeking to build its global community of post-collegeage Jews and attract a wider spectrum of Jewish young adults, Moishe House is bringing together and empowering its millennial Jewish leaders to strategize new ways to expand and redefine their...

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It's also one of the few hot-button topics with widespread support. According to a recent poll from Pew Research, 62% of Americans support legalizing recreational marijuana, including 74% of millennials.

And 2018 has been a banner year for marijuana legalization in North America. In October, Canada legalized marijuana federally, becoming the first Group of Seven country to do so. Mexico's Supreme Court ruled in October that marijuana prohibition was unconstitutional, paving the way for the country's new leader — Andrés Manuel López Obrador — to follow Canada's lead.

Here are all the states voting on marijuana on Tuesday:

Michigan

Anthony Bolante/Reuters

Voters in Michigan may make the state the first in the Midwest to legalize the possession and sale of marijuana for adults over the age of 21. The bill would allow adults to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, and allow residents to grow up to 12 plants at home.

The law is more permissive than other states with legal marijuana: most allow residents to only possess up to an ounce at a time.

The measure, if passed, will also automatically expunge criminal records for residents with marijuana-related convictions.

Utah

AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico

Bright-red Utah is voting on Proposition 2, a medical marijuana measure that will allow residents with qualifying illnesses to legal access to marijuana.

Recent polls show the bill is polling just above 50%, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Opponents and supporters of the bill agreed that Utah's legislature would convene in a special session in November to hammer out a more restrictive medical marijuana bill, meaning that Utah is likely to have some form of medical marijuana access on the books regardless of the bill's fate.

The Mormon Church, however, is opposed to medical marijuana and holds strong sway in Utah politics, per The New York Times.

Every generation has their own conventions to push past or upend. Anywhere you look today, millennials are blamed for the death of some established norm. Whether it’s cable tv, brick and mortar stores, or the sacred bonds of marriage, it’s all young people’s fault. Great Time’s new video for the song “Lazy Lilly” (the title itself perhaps a tongue in cheek nod to the “lazy millennial,” who knows!) explores how relationships have changed from one generation to the next.

The video follows an older man going about his day in his cozy home somewhere in the Northeastern US. Unlike the singer’s past relationship, “Oh, we fell apart making our hard decisions,” this man is alone because death has separated him and his wife. Having the choice to break up or get divorced is a necessity of modern living, but it can also turn what used to be simple fact, that you stay with who you’re with, an overwhelming chain of what if’s. With the line “Is love ours to fall apart?” the song seems to be asking if all modern relationships are doomed to fail without the societal pressure to make them work.

The band makes a brief appearance in the video, seated on the windowsills as if they’re a part of the house, and by extension showing how much each generation is shaped by those that come before. The warm and cozy feel captures the comfort one hopes to attain in old age, while simultaneously creating a mood of melancholy and loss. Jill Ryan’s brooding vocals combine beautifully with the sparse yet buoyant instrumentation to create a wistful dreamlike reality. The closing line “Oh, we fall apart, our love won’t make it last...” ends the song on a downer. Maybe us millennials just don’t have what it takes to make our relationships work? Or maybe we’re just still young.

Democrats also ran the most diverse slate of candidates for the House in US history.

Riding a powerful "blue wave" of backlash to President Donald Trump, Democrats were projected to take control of the House of Representatives on Tuesday night in the midterm elections after eight years in the minority — a major blow to Trump's power in Washington.

Just after 10 p.m. ET, multiple media outlets projected that Democrats had flipped a dozen red seats in all corners of the country, including in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

Tuesday night's results mark a comeback for the Democratic Party, which last held control of the House in 2010, and will fundamentally shift the balance of power in Washington.

Flipping seats in every corner of the country, Democrats beat Republican incumbents with an energized and expanded voter base fueled by the anti-Trump resistance movement. A surge in millennial and black voters, coupled with a deep gender gap, helped propel Democrats to victory in dramatically different districts.

And Democrats ran the most diverse slate of candidates for the House in US history. Women and people of color made up nearly 60% of Democratic House candidates.

The future of the 'resistance' in the House

Democratic leadership has promised that they will move forward with investigations into the president's alleged wrongdoing while simultaneously pursuing possible bipartisan solutions on issues including infrastructure, gun safety, prescription drug prices, and a path to citizenship for DREAMers — undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children.

Democrats also say they'll focus on promoting stricter regulations on ethics and campaign finance — areas where Trump has been widely criticized.

Rep. Jim McGovern, the Massachusetts Democrat poised to chair the Rules Committee, said last month that House Democrats will seek to "restore some integrity" to Congress.

With a progressive platform and message aimed at the working class, Ocasio-Cortez defeated Crowley, who's represented New York's 14th district since 1999, in a landslide. She won 57.5% of the vote, while Crowley had just 42.5%.

Ocasio-Cortez is a Bronx native, member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and former campaign organizer for Sen. Bernie Sanders.

This was her first time running for office. Less than a year ago she was still working as a bartender.

Speaking on her victory on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" in June, Ocasio-Cortez said it was speaking with constituents about issues, instead of focusing on President Donald Trump, that helped her win.

"We have to stick to the message: What are we proposing to the American people? Not, 'What are we fighting against?'" Ocasio-Cortez said. "We understand that we're under an antagonistic administration, but what is the vision that is going to earn and deserve the support of working-class Americans? And we need to be explicit in that vision and legislation, not just 'better,' but what exactly is our plan?"

Here's the platform that helped launch Ocasio-Cortez to the biggest political upset of 2018 so far via an unconventional campaign she started out of a Trader Joe's bag.

Medicare for all

Ocasio-Cortez wants a single payer health care system that would cover medicine, vision, dental, and mental health care.

"Almost every other developed nation in the world has universal healthcare," Ocasio-Cortez's website says. "It’s time the United States catch up to the rest of the world in ensuring all people have real healthcare coverage that doesn’t break the bank."

Universal jobs guarantee

Ocasio-Cortez believes there should be a Federal Jobs Guarantee, creating a "baseline quality for employments that guarantees a minimum $15 wage (pegged to inflation), full healthcare, and paid child and sick leave for all," according to her website.

Housing as a human right

Ocasio-Cortez believes housing is a right and "that Congress must tip the balance away from housing as a gambling chip for Wall Street banks and fight for accessible housing that’s actually within working families’ reach," her website says.

She says she wants to extend tax benefits to working- and middle-class homeowners, expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, provide housing for the homeless, and permanently fund the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Justice-system reform

Ocasio-Cortez calls for ending the war on drugs, demilitarizing police departments, and abolishing for-profit prisons.

She also supports legalizing marijuana at the federal level, releasing individuals sentenced for nonviolent drug offenses, ending cash bail, and "automatic, independent" investigations when people are killed by law enforcement officials.

"Mass incarceration is the latest iteration of a long line of policies (Jim Crow, redlining, etc) rooted in the marginalization of African Americans and people of color," her website says. "Comprehensive criminal justice reform is part of the work that must be done to heal our past and pursue racial justice in the United States."

Immigration reform

Ocasio-Cortez wants to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and believes there should be a "clear" path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants.

"As overseen by the Trump administration, ICE operates with virtually no accountability, ripping apart families and holding our friends and neighbors indefinitely in inhumane detention centers scattered across the United States," Ocasio-Cortez said on her website.

She also wants more protections for young unauthorized immigrants known as "Dreamers" and immigrants who have temporary protections from deportation.

"New Green Deal" to combat climate change

Ocasio-Cortez wants the US to implement a carbon-free, 100% renewable energy system and a fully modernized electrical grid in the US by 2035 in an effort to combat climate change.

She says climate change is the "single biggest national security threat for the United States and the single biggest threat to worldwide industrialized civilization," according to her website.

"The Green New Deal we are proposing will be similar in scale to the mobilization efforts seen in World War II or the Marshall Plan," she recently told HuffPost. "We must again invest in the development, manufacturing, deployment, and distribution of energy, but this time green energy."

Campaign-finance reform

Ocasio-Cortez ran a low-budget campaign, raising around $200,000 and refusing to accept donations from lobbyists.

She says changing the way elections are funded is the "only way for real reform to happen in Washington," according to her website.

To bring about campaign finance reform, Ocasio-Cortez calls for overturning the Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United via a constitutional amendment. She also wants to push for legislation that would require wealthy people and corporations who make large campaign contributions to disclose where their money is going.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz fended off a very tough challenge from Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke in one of the most highly-anticipated midterm election races of the year.

O'Rourke and Cruz presented Texas voters with a stark choice on both policy and personality.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz fended off a very tough challenge from Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke in one of the most highly-anticipated midterm election races of the year in a state that hasn't sent a Democrat to the Senate in 25 years.

O'Rourke, a 46-year-old El Paso Democrat, was fueled by over $60 million in campaign donations, a savvy social media strategy, and a series of glowing national media profiles — and generous comparisons to President John F. Kennedy.

O'Rourke raised more money than any Senate candidate in history, bringing in a shocking $38 million in the third quarter alone.

For months, he's attracted widespread national attention with viral video clips of him defending the free speech rights of NFL players and live streams of his roadtrips across the vast state. The attention came with celebrity endorsements from the likes of country music star Willie Nelson and NBA legend LeBron James.

O'Rourke and Cruz presented Texas voters with a stark choice on both policy and personality.

Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham once quipped that "if you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you." Meanwhile, O'Rourke has framed himself as an affable former punk rocker with a knack for connecting with millennials.

The race was defined by a bitter fight over immigration. Cruz aligns with President Donald Trump on building a border wall, opposes a path to citizenship for so-called DREAMers, and backs the president's call to end birthright citizenship.

O'Rourke supports a path to citizenship for the undocumented, spoke out against Trump's family separation policy, and has — more controversially — advocated for demilitarizing the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agency.

In a recent spat, Cruz attacked O'Rourke's campaign for using $300 of campaign funds to buy basic supplies for an El Paso charity that provides shelter and assistance to immigrants.

The two also advocated diametrically opposed positions on issues like healthcare, gun control, and the environment.

Cruz, who rode the Tea Party movement into the Senate in 2012, leaned into his hardline conservative credentials in an attempt to energize the GOP base and even called in back-up from the president, who he famously called a "pathological liar" during the 2016 Republican primary.

O'Rourke, who ran on a staunchly progressive positions including supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All proposal, impeaching Trump, and defanging ICE, also depended on unprecedented enthusiasm — and anger — among the Democratic base.

But O'Rourke did attempt to balance his progressive platform with aggressive outreach to independent and Republican voters, frequently joking on the stump that he had convinced his mother, a "lifelong Republican," to vote for him — and that he would appeal to many more Texans like her.

Unlike Cruz, O'Rourke has banned donations from corporate political action committees, making the size of his campaign war chest even more impressive.

In a sign of unprecedented energy in Texas, early voter turnout exceeded the state's total turnout in the 2014 midterm elections — and nearly reached presidential year levels.

Abby Minor is Bitch Media’s 2018 Writing Fellow in Sexual Politics

This summer, when the news was filled with stories about would-be immigrants at the Mexico-U.S. border, coverage was overwhelmingly focused on the experiences of parents and children—that is, on the experiences of families. And even though it’s true, as Stephanie Leutert, Director of the Mexico Security Initiative at the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law, has reported, that families “make up an increasingly high proportion of the migrants who reach the U.S. border,” it’s also true that many other kinds of people make that fearsome, often deadly journey. Leutert’s report describes women fleeing from domestic violence, unaccompanied children, and LGBTQ Central Americans escaping death threats. Some people travel with friends, with lovers, with strangers met along the way, or alone. But journalists, aid organizations, and politicians rarely ask us to sympathize with people not categorized as “families”—and that makes me wonder why we’re so much more prepared to care for families than for anyone else.

Several years ago, I saw a beautiful poster commemorating Eric Garner, the Black man who was suffocated and killed by a New York City police officer in 2014. Below Garner’s name and the dates of his birth and death, the poster showed him holding an infant. “He had a family,” it read, “six children, three grandchildren.” While the poster was clearly made with great love, I wondered why it didn’t say, “He was a horticulturist” or “He was a neighborhood peacemaker,” both of which were also true.

Clearly “family” is a powerful form of cultural capital, a magic word that opens doors, legitimizes beliefs, and rearranges debates. When conservatives make calls to action in the name of children and families—claiming, for example, that Islam is a threat to our children, or that homosexuality harms families—it often comes across as insincere, a cover for various hatreds and fears. And yet liberals, Leftists, and Democrats often use similar rhetoric. We may condemn the right’s phobias, but we don’t pause to consider why those phobias are always disguised as family-protection orders—and why our own movements, for everything from racial to environmental justice, are, too. Had Garner not been a parent or a grandparent, what would we have said about him? What else could we have said to emphasize that he was kind, that he was worthy, that he was entitled to his life—that he was human?

Our focus on the family (coincidentally, the name of one of the most powerful conservative Christian organizations in the world) grows out of the right-wing “family values” campaign that took shape in the early 1990s when then-Vice President Dan Quayle coined the phrase in response to the changes wrought by social and civil-rights movements of the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. Quayle never meant for “family values” to include immigrants, people of color, single parents, or queer folks; and in many ways the left’s emphasis on families has been a strategic move to gain both human rights and political footing for vulnerable populations. We talk about keeping families together rather than protecting people from state violence; we talk more openly about LGBTQ families and marriage than about stigma, difference, and discrimination. We scramble to get everyone counted as families so that they can count.

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That scramble is nowhere more apparent than in electoral political speech. Bernie Sanders “has fought tirelessly for working families” and Elizabeth Warren “has made her life’s work the fight for middle-class families,” according to their respective campaigns. The Democratic candidates I voted for in today’s midterm election describe themselves as “surrounded by family and tradition,” “a…family man,” and committed to “hardworking families,” and their websites feature photos of the candidates smiling with their spouses and children. I know some of these folks; I love them, and I love their families. But the ubiquity of such photos and rhetoric suggest something troubling: not only that it’s nice to be in a family, but that only families are nice.

“Family” is a powerful form of cultural capital, a magic word that opens doors, legitimizes beliefs, and rearranges debates.

It may be true that the left has been successful in gaining rights for marginalized people via the rhetoric of family, and even in redefining what a family is. To more and more people, a family can be not only “traditional,” but also queer, or chosen. Yet more than 20 years after Quayle, the families who still count most are more or less the people he had in mind. We are about to experience the largest generational wealth transfer in U.S. history as Boomers pass on assets to their Millennial children, and it is the middle-class family, as an economic and legal unit, that will be the conduit for this continuation of the status quo. If families—however they’re defined—remain closed economic, social, and cultural units, can they really be a source of justice? And if we mean to include everyone when we talk about families, why bother with such an inaccurate word?

“Because a healthy society recognizes the need to moderate hubris,” notes the solitary queer writer Fenton Johnson, “it takes care to protect and listen to its outsiders, who function as a combination of court jesters and advanced scouts […] for the culture as a whole.” At this time of year, when media and pop culture are flooded with images of healthy, comfortable families gathered around laden tables, I want to think about who our outsiders are. They are single people and monks; they are adults without children and children without adults; they’re friends and lovers, queers and widows, activists and homeless people, caravans and tribes. They deserve justice movements that listen to and protect them on their own terms, without cleaning them up and bringing them into the dining room and calling them “families.” I’m not suggesting that we should have a homogeneity of intimacies, but I do want to challenge the ways we use our intimate relationships—particularly those to partners, parents, and children—as cultural capital. Our intimacies should prepare us to act, love, and be in public, not function as a card we play or a shield we use to protect ourselves from the complexities and risks of political life.

I used the word “caravan” above in part to highlight how responses to the Central American “migrant caravan” that’s been the subject of Donald Trump’s midterm fear-mongering differ sharply from last summer’s reactions to “immigrant families.” While Democrats decried family separations and Republicans offered vague platitudes about the importance of protecting immigrant families, there’s no such unity when it comes to the migrant caravan. The rhetorical difference between the two phrases is striking: “Immigrant families” is a safe way of describing lives whose truths cannot, in the end, be safely reconciled with the status quo. But a “migrant caravan,” the image of which Trump has used to reinvigorate his supporters’ xenophobia, is a precarious comet bespeaking revolution.

It’s worth noting that the word “family” comes from the Latin word for servant, famulus; implicit in its definition is the notion of a head and his subordinates. On the other hand, the word “caravan” comes from the Old Persian root kāra-, for “army” or “the people,” describing a company of travelers on a journey through hostile regions. If we who work for justice are to truly reckon with the traumas and oppressions that interweave our lives, we may have to step out from the household and into the company of travelers.

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“It’s been two years of lying, cheating, racism, destroying human rights, disrespecting women, condoning Nazis, separating toddlers from their families, mass shootings involving innocent people and children, lining pockets of the rich, obstructing justice, pissing on the Constitution, advocating violence, cutting your health care, raping the environment, jeopardizing your Social Security and Medicare, treason, and felony crimes – today at least we have a chance to DO SOMETHING. Please vote. Please restore decency and kindness and ethics and justice and everything America really stands for. Especially you Millennials. As it is it will probably take 20 years to undo all of the damage done in the last two years. The future is YOUR world. You will be the ones suffering the most if all of this continues. And trust me, you WILL suffer. For your own sake, for the security of your family, vote these monsters out.”

Groundbreaking campaigns have broken barriers this election, with historic candidates changing the face of Congress and statehouses across the US. Women have run in record numbers, and Native Americans, Muslims, Latinos, immigrants, millennials and LGBT candidates have already made history with their campaigns.

Here are the key trailblazing candidates who are diversifying American politics and have already won their races so far. We will continue updating throughout the night as more results come in.

Likes it for its Millennial demographic play; they will be buying homes and fixing them up. Good earnings growth, well-run and have been increasing their dividend in recent years. This should reach past highs again. (Analysts’ price target is $212.59)

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi was jubilant as she celebrated the Democratic Party's comeback in the House of Representatives following Tuesday's midterm elections.

Pelosi said Democrats would work to restore checks and balances and be a buffer against Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell's "assault" on Medicare, Medicaid, affordable healthcare, and on Americans with pre-existing conditions.

"Let's hear more for pre-existing medical conditions," she said, as the crowd broke into applause.

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi struck a jubilant tone late Tuesday night when she celebrated Democrats flipping the House of Representatives in the closely watched midterm elections.

"Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans," Pelosi said. "It's about restoring the Constitution and checks and balances to the Trump administration. It's about stopping the GOP and [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell's assault on Medicare, Medicaid, affordable health care, and millions of Americans living with pre-existing medical conditions."

Pelosi added, "Let's hear more for pre-existing medical conditions," as the crowd broke into applause.

Just after 10 p.m. ET, multiple media outlets projected that Democrats had flipped a dozen red seats in all corners of the country — including in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

Tuesday night's results mark a comeback for the Democratic Party, which last held control of the House in 2010, and will fundamentally shift the balance of power in Washington.

Flipping seats in every corner of the country, Democrats beat Republican incumbents with an energized and expanded voter base fueled by the anti-Trump resistance movement. A surge in millennial and black voters, coupled with a deep gender gap, helped propel Democrats to victory in dramatically different districts.

And Democrats ran the most diverse slate of candidates for the House in US history. Women and people of color made upnearly 60%of Democratic House candidates.

"In stark contrast to the GOP Congress," Pelosi said Tuesday, "a Democratic Congress will be led with transparency and openness. So that the public can see what's happening and how it affects them and that they can weigh in with the members of Congress and with the President of the United States."

Pelosi added that Democrats would hold the president accountable and strive for bipartisanship when possible.

"We will have a responsibility to find our common ground where we can, stand our ground where we can't, but we must try," she said. "A Democratic Congress will work for solutions that bring us together because we have all had enough of division."

Earlier Tuesday, Pelosi cautioned against speculation that Democrats will impeach Trump now that they've regained control of the House.

Asked about the move, Pelosi said, "It depends on what happens in the [Special Counsel Robert] Mueller investigation, but that is not unifying and I get criticized in my own party for not being in support of it. But I'm not. If that happens, it would have to be bipartisan, and the evidence would have to be so conclusive."

Pelosi said she and other Democrats would instead focus on addressing the concerns of everyday voters.

"They want to see us working to get that done for them," Pelosi said. "They want resolve. They want peace, and that's what we'll bring them."

Democrats also ran the most diverse slate of candidates for the House in US history.

Riding a powerful "blue wave" of backlash to President Donald Trump, Democrats were projected to take control of the House of Representatives on Tuesday night in the midterm elections after eight years in the minority — a major blow to Trump's power in Washington.

Just after 10 p.m. ET, multiple media outlets projected that Democrats had flipped a dozen red seats in all corners of the country, including in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

Tuesday night's results mark a comeback for the Democratic Party, which last held control of the House in 2010, and will fundamentally shift the balance of power in Washington.

Flipping seats in every corner of the country, Democrats beat Republican incumbents with an energized and expanded voter base fueled by the anti-Trump resistance movement. A surge in millennial and black voters, coupled with a deep gender gap, helped propel Democrats to victory in dramatically different districts.

And Democrats ran the most diverse slate of candidates for the House in US history. Women and people of color made up nearly 60% of Democratic House candidates.

The future of the 'resistance' in the House

Democratic leadership has promised that they will move forward with investigations into the president's alleged wrongdoing while simultaneously pursuing possible bipartisan solutions on issues including infrastructure, gun safety, prescription drug prices, and a path to citizenship for DREAMers — undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children.

Democrats also say they'll focus on promoting stricter regulations on ethics and campaign finance — areas where Trump has been widely criticized.

Rep. Jim McGovern, the Massachusetts Democrat poised to chair the Rules Committee, said last month that House Democrats will seek to "restore some integrity" to Congress.

With a progressive platform and message aimed at the working class, Ocasio-Cortez defeated Crowley, who's represented New York's 14th district since 1999, in a landslide. She won 57.5% of the vote, while Crowley had just 42.5%.

Ocasio-Cortez is a Bronx native, member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and former campaign organizer for Sen. Bernie Sanders.

This was her first time running for office. Less than a year ago she was still working as a bartender.

Speaking on her victory on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" in June, Ocasio-Cortez said it was speaking with constituents about issues, instead of focusing on President Donald Trump, that helped her win.

"We have to stick to the message: What are we proposing to the American people? Not, 'What are we fighting against?'" Ocasio-Cortez said. "We understand that we're under an antagonistic administration, but what is the vision that is going to earn and deserve the support of working-class Americans? And we need to be explicit in that vision and legislation, not just 'better,' but what exactly is our plan?"

Here's the platform that helped launch Ocasio-Cortez to the biggest political upset of 2018 so far via an unconventional campaign she started out of a Trader Joe's bag.

Medicare for all

Ocasio-Cortez wants a single payer health care system that would cover medicine, vision, dental, and mental health care.

"Almost every other developed nation in the world has universal healthcare," Ocasio-Cortez's website says. "It’s time the United States catch up to the rest of the world in ensuring all people have real healthcare coverage that doesn’t break the bank."

Universal jobs guarantee

Ocasio-Cortez believes there should be a Federal Jobs Guarantee, creating a "baseline quality for employments that guarantees a minimum $15 wage (pegged to inflation), full healthcare, and paid child and sick leave for all," according to her website.

Housing as a human right

Ocasio-Cortez believes housing is a right and "that Congress must tip the balance away from housing as a gambling chip for Wall Street banks and fight for accessible housing that’s actually within working families’ reach," her website says.

She says she wants to extend tax benefits to working- and middle-class homeowners, expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, provide housing for the homeless, and permanently fund the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Justice-system reform

Ocasio-Cortez calls for ending the war on drugs, demilitarizing police departments, and abolishing for-profit prisons.

She also supports legalizing marijuana at the federal level, releasing individuals sentenced for nonviolent drug offenses, ending cash bail, and "automatic, independent" investigations when people are killed by law enforcement officials.

"Mass incarceration is the latest iteration of a long line of policies (Jim Crow, redlining, etc) rooted in the marginalization of African Americans and people of color," her website says. "Comprehensive criminal justice reform is part of the work that must be done to heal our past and pursue racial justice in the United States."

Immigration reform

Ocasio-Cortez wants to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and believes there should be a "clear" path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants.

"As overseen by the Trump administration, ICE operates with virtually no accountability, ripping apart families and holding our friends and neighbors indefinitely in inhumane detention centers scattered across the United States," Ocasio-Cortez said on her website.

She also wants more protections for young unauthorized immigrants known as "Dreamers" and immigrants who have temporary protections from deportation.

"New Green Deal" to combat climate change

Ocasio-Cortez wants the US to implement a carbon-free, 100% renewable energy system and a fully modernized electrical grid in the US by 2035 in an effort to combat climate change.

She says climate change is the "single biggest national security threat for the United States and the single biggest threat to worldwide industrialized civilization," according to her website.

"The Green New Deal we are proposing will be similar in scale to the mobilization efforts seen in World War II or the Marshall Plan," she recently told HuffPost. "We must again invest in the development, manufacturing, deployment, and distribution of energy, but this time green energy."

Campaign-finance reform

Ocasio-Cortez ran a low-budget campaign, raising around $200,000 and refusing to accept donations from lobbyists.

She says changing the way elections are funded is the "only way for real reform to happen in Washington," according to her website.

To bring about campaign finance reform, Ocasio-Cortez calls for overturning the Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United via a constitutional amendment. She also wants to push for legislation that would require wealthy people and corporations who make large campaign contributions to disclose where their money is going.

Here's the full platform in condensed form:

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz fended off a very tough challenge from Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke in one of the most highly anticipated midterm election races of the year.

O'Rourke and Cruz presented Texas voters with a stark choice on both policy and personality.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz fended off a very tough challenge from Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke in one of the most highly anticipated midterm election races of the year in a state that hasn't sent a Democrat to the Senate in 25 years.

O'Rourke, a 46-year-old El Paso Democrat, was fueled by over $60 million in campaign donations, a savvy social-media strategy, and a series of glowing national media profiles — and generous comparisons to President John F. Kennedy.

O'Rourke raised more money than any Senate candidate in history, bringing in a shocking $38 million in the third quarter alone.

For months, he's attracted widespread national attention with viral video clips of him defending the free speech rights of NFL players and live streams of his road trips across the vast state. The attention came with celebrity endorsements from the likes of country music star Willie Nelson and NBA legend LeBron James.

O'Rourke and Cruz presented Texas voters with a stark choice on both policy and personality.

Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham once quipped that "if you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you." Meanwhile, O'Rourke has framed himself as an affable former punk rocker with a knack for connecting with millennials.

The race was defined by a bitter fight over immigration. Cruz aligns with President Donald Trump on building a border wall, opposes a path to citizenship for so-called DREAMers, and backs the president's call to end birthright citizenship.

O'Rourke supports a path to citizenship for the undocumented, spoke out against Trump's family-separation policy, and has, more controversially, advocated for demilitarizing the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agency.

In a recent spat, Cruz attacked O'Rourke's campaign for using $300 of campaign funds to buy basic supplies for an El Paso charity that provides shelter and assistance to immigrants.

The two also advocated diametrically opposed positions on issues like healthcare, gun control, and the environment.

Cruz, who rode the Tea Party movement into the Senate in 2012, leaned into his hardline conservative credentials in an attempt to energize the GOP base and even called in back-up from the president, whom he famously called a "pathological liar" during the 2016 Republican primary.

O'Rourke, who ran on a staunchly progressive positions including supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All proposal, impeaching Trump, and defanging ICE, also depended on unprecedented enthusiasm — and anger — among the Democratic base.

But O'Rourke did attempt to balance his progressive platform with aggressive outreach to independent and Republican voters, frequently joking on the stump that he had persuaded his mother, a "lifelong Republican," to vote for him — and that he would appeal to many more Texans like her.

Unlike Cruz, O'Rourke has banned donations from corporate political action committees, making the size of his campaign war chest even more impressive.

In a sign of unprecedented energy in Texas, early voter turnout exceeded the state's total turnout in the 2014 midterm elections — and nearly reached presidential year levels.

BNNBloomberg.caLooking ahead, the company will be focused on digital marketing to bring exposure to the brand, build community, relationships, influencers and ambassadors, and create more regional brand recognition. All that will also set the stage for the launch of … …read more Source:: Influencer Marketing News By Google News

According to a recent article on CNN, “demand for tiny homes is getting bigger”. More than half of Americans would consider living in a home that’s less than 600 square feet, according to a survey done by the National Association of Home Builders. And among Millennials, interest increases to 63%. Please enjoy, learn more, and re-share […]

This April, a San Francisco-based startup called Goodly launched as a part of Y Combinator's summer batch.

Goodly aims to help companies help their employees pay off their student loans, by making regular matching contributions — kind of like a 401(k).

Greg Poulin, co-founder and CEO, was motivated to start Goodly because of his own experiences in paying off $80,000 in student debt.

Poulin believes that the budget for common company perks such as gym memberships and massage chairs can be better used for helping employees pay off student loans.

While Greg Poulin, co-founder and CEO of Goodly, was attending Dartmouth, his father passed away unexpectedly. On top of the emotional toll, he also ended up having to borrow $80,000 in student loans to pay his tuition.

Poulin has since moved to San Francisco, the thriving-but-pricey hub of the startup world, and he’s still chipping away at his loans with a monthly payment of about $900 a month. Frustrated by his experiences, he founded Goodly, a platform for companies to offer employees assistance with their student loans as a benefit.

Goodly allows companies to make a monthly contribution to their employees’ student loans, similar to how companies often match 401(k) contributions. Based in San Francisco, Goodly was founded just this April, launched with a $120,000 seed investment as a part of the summer batch from famed startup program Y Combinator.

“Most employers don’t know that student loan benefits exist. It’s both a challenge and an opportunity for us,” Poulin told Business Insider. “It’s helped us completely define a new category of benefits.”

Companies often offer perks like gym memberships, massage chairs and snacks, but the money can be better allocated to helping employees pay student loans, Poulin says. That way, student loan repayment won’t be a large expense for companies. This benefit, he says, could help with both recruiting and retention.

“The problem is those employees are saddled with crippling student loan debt,” Poulin said. “Gym memberships aren’t going to cut it when it comes to recruiting employees.”

Hemant Verma, co-founder and CTO of Goodly, also had to pay off debts from his own education in India.

“This is a massive problem for people,” Verma told Business Insider. “It’s the biggest problem our generation is facing...This was a mission we were energized with.”

The scale of the problem

Today, 70% of college students graduate with debt, and over 44 million Americans collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student debt. An American Student Assistance survey reported that 76% of respondents said student loan repayment benefit would be a deciding or contributing factor to accepting a job offer.

The average college graduate has $37,172 in student loans, by some estimates, up $20,000 from 13 years ago. It makes sense that the demand for student loan benefits is rising.

“For millennials, they bear the grunt of student loans,” Poulin said. “It’s an issue where we see people of all backgrounds.”

This could potentially impact diversity and inclusion at companies as well, as student loans disproportionately affect women and people of color. For example, research shows that women carry two-thirds of the nation’s student debt load, and that African American students are four times more likely to default on their student loans than their white peers.

Poulin has seen Goodly’s customers make contributions of $25 to $300 a month to repaying their employees’ student loans. On average, employers contribute $100 a month.

“We’ve had companies of all sizes reach out to us,” Poulin said. “We’ve been really blown away by the interest of companies we’ve seen. It’s not surprising when so many are leaving the company in debt. This is a problem they’ve struggled with. It’s exciting to see companies that are working to proactively help their employees solve this challenge.”

Get started early

For Poulin, one thing that has helped him was making bi-weekly payments instead of monthly payments.

“Over the course of the year, you’ll make an additional payment,” Poulin said. “It could shave off two years over the repayment period.”

Still, student loan repayments can impede employees from making future investments such as graduate school, buying a house, marriage and retirement. Poulin sees investing in retirement as his biggest challenge, especially when he first started working after graduation.

“I was contributing very little, if at all,” Poulin said. “Student loan debt is a major barrier. When you delay contributing to the 401(k), there’s a large compounding effect.”

Having faced the issue of paying off student debt themselves, Poulin and Verma hope Goodly can help people slash the amount of time it takes to pay off loans.

“We want to make student loans obsolete,” Verma said. “Student loans get a bad rep for most people. In terms of investments, it’s still a good thing basically. You’re able to upgrade your life. Our goal is not to get rid of it completely, but make sure you can pay it off as fast as possible.”

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi was jubilant as she celebrated the Democratic Party's comeback in the House of Representatives following Tuesday's midterm elections.

Pelosi said Democrats would work to restore checks and balances and be a buffer against Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell's "assault" on Medicare, Medicaid, affordable healthcare, and on Americans with pre-existing conditions.

"Let's hear more for pre-existing medical conditions," she said, as the crowd broke into applause.

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi struck a jubilant tone late Tuesday night when she celebrated Democrats flipping the House of Representatives in the closely watched midterm elections.

"Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans," Pelosi said. "It's about restoring the Constitution and checks and balances to the Trump administration. It's about stopping the GOP and [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell's assault on Medicare, Medicaid, affordable health care, and millions of Americans living with pre-existing medical conditions."

Pelosi added, "Let's hear more for pre-existing medical conditions," as the crowd broke into applause.

Just after 10 p.m. ET, multiple media outlets projected that Democrats had flipped a dozen red seats in all corners of the country — including in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

Tuesday night's results mark a comeback for the Democratic Party, which last held control of the House in 2010, and will fundamentally shift the balance of power in Washington.

Flipping seats in every corner of the country, Democrats beat Republican incumbents with an energized and expanded voter base fueled by the anti-Trump resistance movement. A surge in millennial and black voters, coupled with a deep gender gap, helped propel Democrats to victory in dramatically different districts.

And Democrats ran the most diverse slate of candidates for the House in US history. Women and people of color made upnearly 60%of Democratic House candidates.

"In stark contrast to the GOP Congress," Pelosi said Tuesday, "a Democratic Congress will be led with transparency and openness. So that the public can see what's happening and how it affects them and that they can weigh in with the members of Congress and with the President of the United States."

Pelosi added that Democrats would hold the president accountable and strive for bipartisanship when possible.

"We will have a responsibility to find our common ground where we can, stand our ground where we can't, but we must try," she said. "A Democratic Congress will work for solutions that bring us together because we have all had enough of division."

Earlier Tuesday, Pelosi cautioned against speculation that Democrats will impeach Trump now that they've regained control of the House.

Asked about the move, Pelosi said, "It depends on what happens in the [Special Counsel Robert] Mueller investigation, but that is not unifying and I get criticized in my own party for not being in support of it. But I'm not. If that happens, it would have to be bipartisan, and the evidence would have to be so conclusive."

Pelosi said she and other Democrats would instead focus on addressing the concerns of everyday voters.

"They want to see us working to get that done for them," Pelosi said. "They want resolve. They want peace, and that's what we'll bring them."

Progressive Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won her race for a U.S. House seat in New York’s 14th District on Tuesday, becoming theyoungest woman ever elected to Congress.

The 29-year-old political newcomer made headlines nationwide in June when she unexpectedly defeated 10-term Rep. Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary.

On Tuesday, Ocasio-Cortez easily prevailed in the heavily Democratic district against Republican opponent Anthony Pappas, a St. John’s University professor.

“This is what is possible when everyday people come together in the collective realization that all our actions … are powerful, worthwhile and capable of lasting change,” Ocasio-Cortez said in her victory speech Tuesday night.

“Words cannot express my gratitude to every organizer, every small-dollar donor, every working parent and Dreamer who helped make this movement happen,” she added. “And that’s exactly what this is, not a campaign or an Election Day but a movement … for social, economic and racial justice.”

“Our district is overwhelmingly people of color, it’s working class, it’s very immigrant ― and it hasn’t had the representation we’ve needed,” Ocasio-Cortez told HuffPost in June. Her district, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens, is one of the most diverse in the country.

A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Ocasio-Cortez is part of a wave of progressive Democrats promising to push the party establishment further left. She refused any corporate PAC money in her campaign and ran on a boldly progressive platform that included Medicare for all, a federal jobs guarantee and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Ocasio-Cortez is one of several women who made history Tuesday night, including Rashida Tlaib in Michigan and Ilhan Omar in Minnesota, now the first Muslim women elected to Congress, and Ayanna Pressley in Massachusetts, now the first black woman elected to Congress in her state.

Chris Tomlin recently joined Hillsong Young & Free, Hillsong's Millennial worship team, for a live performance at the Hillsong Conference. Tomlin and the band performed Hillsong Young & Free's song "Heart of God," which is an ode to God's character, kindness and love. Click here to watch the stirring performance.

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RETAINING employees will be of top concern in 2017. Here are four ways companies retain their current employees and win talent this year, according to Forbes Offer better pay If you don’t pay employees fairly, they will leave – and no perk will change their mind. A new poll by 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair found the best way to keep an employee motivated is money, and 35 per cent of respondents said it was the most important thing they look for in a new job. Employees can review websites such as salarygraph.co.uk and payscale.com to see the average pay for different professions in various industries. They can also speak to their peers or current employees to compare and contrast their pay, and leverage it in a negotiation with their employer. Promote career mobility When employees, especially millennials and Generation Zs, aren’t able to advance at work, they immediately start searching for other opportunities. That is why companies are offering more career mobility opportunities, which support employees who want to move across different departments or even change their occupation. A study by Cisco and Future Workplace found this mobility helps increase engagement, productivity and teamwork. This result makes sense, because employees want new challenges and opportunities in order to stay engaged in their work, grow their skills, and advance in their careers. Encourage flexibility While technology has allowed us to work wherever and whenever, it has meant many of us can’t switch off from it. In light of these new work demands, employees are seeking ways to better manage their personal time and relationships. Flexibility is crucial because employees are expected to respond to emails and phone calls after hours for no additional pay. Flexible work could include flexible hours, working from home and other types of work arrangements. Provide learning opportunities One of the best ways to increase retention is to enrich employees with the education and tools required to thrive in your organization. A recent study by Udemy uncovered that 46 per cent of employees cite limited opportunities to learn new skills as the top reason why they are bored in their current roles and looking for a change. Training and development opportunities can help companies not only with retention, but also with developing their next generation of leaders.

The top five grocery items most frequently purchased by millennials in the United Kingdom are all vegan foods, according to a new survey by Swedish vegan milk brand, Oatly . Survey participants betwee ... - Source: vegnews.com

Groundbreaking campaigns have broken barriers this election, with historic candidates changing the face of Congress and statehouses across the US.Women have run in record numbers, and Native Americans, Muslims, Latinos, immigrants, millennials and LGBT ca

A young millennial male with intellectual challenges, seeking a support worker to accompany me to be active and to engage in my community.... $18 - $21 an hourFrom Indeed - Tue, 30 Oct 2018 14:55:39 GMT - View all Erin, ON jobs

This April, a San Francisco-based startup called Goodly launched as a part of Y Combinator's summer batch.

Goodly aims to help companies help their employees pay off their student loans, by making regular matching contributions — kind of like a 401(k).

Greg Poulin, co-founder and CEO, was motivated to start Goodly because of his own experiences in paying off $80,000 in student debt.

Poulin believes that the budget for common company perks such as gym memberships and massage chairs can be better used for helping employees pay off student loans.

While Greg Poulin, co-founder and CEO of Goodly, was attending Dartmouth, his father passed away unexpectedly. On top of the emotional toll, he also ended up having to borrow $80,000 in student loans to pay his tuition.

Poulin has since moved to San Francisco, the thriving-but-pricey hub of the startup world, and he’s still chipping away at his loans with a monthly payment of about $900 a month. Frustrated by his experiences, he founded Goodly, a platform for companies to offer employees assistance with their student loans as a benefit.

Goodly allows companies to make a monthly contribution to their employees’ student loans, similar to how companies often match 401(k) contributions. Based in San Francisco, Goodly was founded just this April, launched with a $120,000 seed investment as a part of the summer batch from famed startup program Y Combinator.

“Most employers don’t know that student loan benefits exist. It’s both a challenge and an opportunity for us,” Poulin told Business Insider. “It’s helped us completely define a new category of benefits.”

Companies often offer perks like gym memberships, massage chairs and snacks, but the money can be better allocated to helping employees pay student loans, Poulin says. That way, student loan repayment won’t be a large expense for companies. This benefit, he says, could help with both recruiting and retention.

“The problem is those employees are saddled with crippling student loan debt,” Poulin said. “Gym memberships aren’t going to cut it when it comes to recruiting employees.”

Hemant Verma, co-founder and CTO of Goodly, also had to pay off debts from his own education in India.

“This is a massive problem for people,” Verma told Business Insider. “It’s the biggest problem our generation is facing...This was a mission we were energized with.”

The scale of the problem

Today, 70% of college students graduate with debt, and over 44 million Americans collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student debt. An American Student Assistance survey reported that 76% of respondents said student loan repayment benefit would be a deciding or contributing factor to accepting a job offer.

The average college graduate has $37,172 in student loans, by some estimates, up $20,000 from 13 years ago. It makes sense that the demand for student loan benefits is rising.

“For millennials, they bear the grunt of student loans,” Poulin said. “It’s an issue where we see people of all backgrounds.”

This could potentially impact diversity and inclusion at companies as well, as student loans disproportionately affect women and people of color. For example, research shows that women carry two-thirds of the nation’s student debt load, and that African American students are four times more likely to default on their student loans than their white peers.

Poulin has seen Goodly’s customers make contributions of $25 to $300 a month to repaying their employees’ student loans. On average, employers contribute $100 a month.

“We’ve had companies of all sizes reach out to us,” Poulin said. “We’ve been really blown away by the interest of companies we’ve seen. It’s not surprising when so many are leaving the company in debt. This is a problem they’ve struggled with. It’s exciting to see companies that are working to proactively help their employees solve this challenge.”

Get started early

For Poulin, one thing that has helped him was making bi-weekly payments instead of monthly payments.

“Over the course of the year, you’ll make an additional payment,” Poulin said. “It could shave off two years over the repayment period.”

Still, student loan repayments can impede employees from making future investments such as graduate school, buying a house, marriage and retirement. Poulin sees investing in retirement as his biggest challenge, especially when he first started working after graduation.

“I was contributing very little, if at all,” Poulin said. “Student loan debt is a major barrier. When you delay contributing to the 401(k), there’s a large compounding effect.”

Having faced the issue of paying off student debt themselves, Poulin and Verma hope Goodly can help people slash the amount of time it takes to pay off loans.

“We want to make student loans obsolete,” Verma said. “Student loans get a bad rep for most people. In terms of investments, it’s still a good thing basically. You’re able to upgrade your life. Our goal is not to get rid of it completely, but make sure you can pay it off as fast as possible.”

NBC, Fox, and Facebook all pulled an ad widely condemned as racist following public backlash.

While all three companies have their own advertising standards teams that evaluate ads, an initial review didn't flag anything as impermissible in the ad.

Some experts note a perceived difference in the way ads are reviewed for commercial products and political issues.

Brand-safety issues come with running political advertisements for networks and platforms.

Less than 24 hours after an advertisement that was widely condemned as racist aired during a Sunday Night Football game on NBC, the network issued a sweeping reversal, vowing to immediately remove the ad. NBC cited the ad's "insensitive" nature as the reason for its removal.

Shortly after, both Fox and Facebook, which aired the ad on their respective platforms, issued similar statements and pulled the ad.

The 30-second primetime advertisement released by President Trump's campaign attempted to draw a connection between convicted cop killer Luis Bracamontes, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who is now on death row, and the so-called migrant caravan now traveling up through Mexico toward the US border. There is no known connection, and Trump has frequently used the migrant caravan — a group of several thousand Central American migrants fleeing violence and poverty in their home countries — as a talking point to stoke fears about immigration in the US.

So how did the ad pass muster?

For one, it actually wasn't cleared by all the companies to which it was submitted. CNN, for example, rejected the ad, calling it racist.

NBC, Fox, and Facebook all have their own advertising standards teams that evaluate ads and originally accepted the Trump ad. Federal agencies, which have varying degrees of jurisdiction regulating ads, didn't flag anything as impermissible. It was a public rebuke that prompted a second review and the eventual pulling of the ad.

The original airing, outcry, and then reversal by the networks show both the difference in rules around enforcement between commercial and political ads, and the growing indication that networks and platforms must appreciate the brand-safety issues that come with political advertisements.

Standards and practices

The teams at a network or cable company that review an ad for a commercial product and for a political candidate or cause tend to be the same. But the evaluation process is different, according to people familiar with it.

"I have to believe that in a sane world when a political party or candidate buys time, the assumption is you don't have to scrutinize ads same way you have to if someone is selling something," Preston Beckman, former NBC and Fox executive, told Business Insider. "Political ads are selling policy."

Ad agencies also note a perceived difference in the way ads are reviewed for commercial products and political issues.

"The FCC, the FTC, and the FEC leave the American people for dead when it comes to political advertising," Sarah O'Leary, lead strategist at Methods & Madness, told Business Insider. "They allow our public airwaves to be used to lie to us without any regulation."

The FCC administers political programming rules for TV, but it doesn't evaluate messaging in ads. Both the FEC and FTC oversee campaign finance laws, including the disclosure of funds raised to influence federal elections.

The network is the real evaluation point on ad messaging, according to O'Leary, who owns an ad agency.

In her experience, the process of getting a commercial ad submitted involves reading product research to understand what facts can be included in an advertisement, multiple layers of review by lawyers, and a final review by networks or cable companies to decide if the ad is legal and fact based, or misleading.

"The people at the networks know this process inside and out," O'Leary said. "They figured they'd take a chance."

Money is part of the equation, she said, and primetime slots fetch significant ad dollars. Trump spent $2.7 million on national TV ads last week alone, according to iSpot.TV.

The Trump ad was created by Jamestown Associates, a corporate advertising firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with National Media as the ad-buying agency, and aired three times on NBC properties and 14 times on Fox properties over the last week before it was pulled. At the time it was removed, it had been viewed more that 21 million times, according to iSpot.TV.

The review of a political ad shouldn't be any less stringent than it is for a commercial product, O'Leary said. "They're selling the most important thing to our society they are selling ideas and principles that are going to determine our government."

Reputational risk

Since federal agencies don't thoroughly review political ad messages, that leaves the evaluation of whether an ad is appropriate to broadcasters and cable companies. And that determination has proven difficult. NBC, Fox, and Facebook all removed the ad not because it spouted factual inaccuracies, but for less quantifiable reasons.

NBC used the term "insensitive." Facebook said the content was "sensational." In either case, the platforms seemed to designate the ad as a violation of social mores. And that may leave them exposed to a future mishap.

In the case of the most recent Trump ad that was removed, the damage seems contained.

"I don’t think there’s a reputational risk for the network and its other advertisers either way, unless an ad is so egregious that it somehow causes consumers to view other advertisers or the network negatively," Brian Wieser, senior analyst Pivotal Research, told Business Insider in an email. "Advertisers are concerned more about the content they are associated with than the brand company they keep."

YouTube is an example of a platform that faced backlash after advertisers noticed their ads running next to offensive or extremist content. It resulted in hundreds of advertisers pulling their ads from YouTube even though ads only rarely ran next to questionable content, Wieser said.

But advertisers usually only act when there's a direct correlation between content or brand safety and an ad.

Take Facebook's role in the genocide against the Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority group. On Monday,Facebook admitted it didn't do enough to prevent its platform being used to incite violence and hate against the Rohingya. But advertisers aren't boycotting Facebook the way they did YouTube.

"No advertiser has concern at this time because, I think, the connection is too indirect for most consumers to appreciate even if it seems plain as day to someone studying the business closely," Wieser said.

It may take someone putting together a clear argument that resonates with large groups of people for the connection to become more problematic, he said.

But brand-safety issues for networks and platforms could become more of an issue in the future because of changing expectations of consumers.

"I think millennials and young people want to align with platforms and brands that are extensions of their values and their principles," Joseph Anthony, CEO of New York based advertising firm Hero Group, told Business Insider.

"I think that the networks are not insulated from that, especially as you see more young people cut the cord and starting to look at more on demand platforms and there are a lot more options out there."

STOP LOOKING AT THOSE POLLS RIGHT NOW! That shit will make you crazy, and, at this point in the cycle, the numbers are garbage anyway. Instead take a look at these beautiful young people who are showing up where it matters. This is the increase in early voting and absentee ballots [Edit] among 18-29 year olds over 2014.

Arizona: +217%

Florida: +131%

Georgia: +415%

Kansas: +191%

Michigan: +128%

North Carolina: +170%

Nevada: +364%

Ohio: +134%

Pennsylvania: +397%

Tennessee: +767%

Texas: +448%

Virginia: +351%

Nationwide, early voting is up 181 percent among late Millennials and the Gen Z kids old enough to vote. And young people prefer Democrats to Republicans by 34 percent.So maybe it's time to let 2016 go and stop fighting some bullshit battle with our own children. Because they are really, really great! TargetSmart crunched the data on early voting, so check out how awesome the young people in your neck of the woods are.

Harvard's Kennedy School Institute of Politics found that 40 percent of 18-29 year olds "will definitely vote" this year, despite the fact that Republicans are trying their best to disenfranchise them. If even 30 percent of the 18-29 year old cohort showed up, that would blow the previous midterm turnout record of 21 percent in 1994 out of the water. They understand why voting is important, and it sure as hell isn't because they read Atlas Shrugged and it changed their life, bruh!

56% support a federal jobs guarantee, with a $15/hour minimum wage and paid family/sick leave, rising to 63% among likely voters

55% support Medicare for All, rising to 67% among likely voters

56% support free tuition at public universities for students whose families make less than $125,000 per year, rising to 62% of likely voters

And, by the by, kids who grew up in a digital world are a lot less likely to get taken in by handful of foreign trollbots seeding their media with manipulative horseshit. Probably because they don't spend their entire day camped out on a $70 billion platform colonized by Nazis, hoaxers, and scam artists because LOL, how else will I know if that girl in my math class twenty years ago had a baby? AHEM.

So no more crapping on the millennials! The kids are goddamn terrific, and they are going to save the country!

June 2018: Online personal shopping service Stitch Fix has just introduced two new exciting exclusive collections this month: DJ by DANNIJO and Tanya Taylor. Simply request the brands in your next Fix. This is the first time Dannijo is available at this price point (under $100).

June 2018: Fitness guru Tracy Anderson has teamed up with G.I.L.I. with Jill Martin on her first ever activewear line for QVC! The collection is priced $24.50-$167, and includes bodysuits, high-waisted leggings, French terry jogger pants, duffel bags and more. Basically, everything you need to crush your work out.

“I want women to feel great while working out," Anderson said in the release.

June 2018:J.Crew and Madewell have launched collabs with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) for Pride Month. 50% of the sale price of limited-edition Love First tees, socks, totes and more will benefit the civil rights organization that ensures LGBTQ people are safe, equal and free in every community. We'll shop to that!

May 2018:Pam & Gelahas teamed up with virtually fitting room platform Style.me. Now, when you shop the site you can actually see how clothes will fit for your size and measurements. The technology is amazing! It tells you exactly what size to buy, and where the garment might be too tight or too lose. This is a game changer.

May 2018: If you consider yourself a Star Wars fan, then here's some new merch to add to your collection. Cult leggings brand Terez recently dropped a Star Wars-themed collection that includes ridiculously cool styles for women and girls. If you've never worn Terez leggings, you need to treat yourself ASAP. They're super stretchy and soft and you'll never want to take them off.

April 2018: Lilly Pulitzer and Sugarfina have launched three new bento boxes together: Lilly’s Butterflies, Palm Beach Pineapples, and Pink Flamingos. The boxes come with three candy types in a Lilly-printed box and retail for $30. Perfect for Mother's Day!

May 2018: Madewell has teamed up with crewcuts on a mommy and me matching collection just in time for Mother's Day and spring. The line features a sweet strawberry print on 8 pieces for mom (think breezy dresse and lots of denim) and 3 matching girls' styles, priced $12 for a bandana to $148.

May 2018:Sprinkles is once again teaming up with Casamigos to offer a limited edition Margarita cupcake just in time for Cinco De Mayo. In each Sprinkles location nationwide the key lime flavored cupcake infused with George Clooney and Rande Gerber’s award winning tequila and topped with key lime frosting will be available from now until May 13th.

April 2018: If you're ready to free your feet from boots and booties, then jump on the new Dr. Scholl's x Urban Outfitters sandal collection ASAP. The collab just launched and includes two cute slide sandals in 6 fun and perfect-for-summer colors and patterns. Even better, both styles are under $75! Snag a pair or two fast before these babies sell out!

March 2018:Spiritual Gangster, the carefree Cali brand beloved by Jennifer Lopez, Alessandra Ambrosio, Emma Roberts and more, has teamed up with Cleobella on a limited-edition run of handbags and tees benefiting Feeding America and CARE.org, which empowers women in South East Asia. We love the tie dye clutches, laser cut bags and "Wander With Love" tanks.

February 2018: Nicky Hilton just released the most adorable mommy + me capsule collection with Tolani. The mama of two has been hard at work! The collection features 20 styles, all 100% silk, in both women’s and girls’ sizing that range in price from $48-$248. Shop tops, shorts and dresses in colorful prints--perfect for the beach.

January 2018: Just in time for Valentine's Day, LeSportsac teamed up with Hershey's on a delectable collection of chocolate-inspired bags and accessories. I mean, can we all just take a minute to appreciate this amazing Hershey kiss wristlet?! Does it get any cuter?? Add a few of these sweet accessories to your V-Day wish list ASAP!

January 2018: In celebration of her birthday today, Rachel Roy is releasing a limited edition, “Birthday Kindness Is Always Fashionable LOVE Collection” and 100% of all proceeds will be donated to World of Children. World of Children® improves the lives of vulnerable children by funding and elevating the most effective change makers for children worldwide and is a charity that Rachel loves. “For my birthday I would like to give the gift of what I love the most, the chance for all children & families around the world to thrive. With each LOVE style purchased, you are participating in a solution!” she tells us.

The collection includes a leather bag, denim embroidered jacket, t-shirt and cargo pants.

Krysten Ritter has teamed up with international DIY brand We Are Knitters on 8 knitting kits, including a doggie sweater, leg warmers and an infinity scarf. Priced $70 to $129, it's the perfect holiday gift for the crafter in your life.

December 2017: To celebrate the upcoming release of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," brands like Old Navy, Evine and Havaianas have released limited-edition gear such as flip-flops, watches, tees and more. The perfect gift for every Star Wars fan on your list.

Update: The bottles have officially launched, but sold out almost immediately online this morning. You can still purchase them at all Lilly Pulitzer stores, as well as select Lilly Pulitzer signature stores, Lilly Pulitzer at the Breakers Palm Beach and at The Ritz Carlton Amelia Island. Good luck!

Lilly Pulitzer has teamed up with S’well again on a limited-edition collection launching just in time for holiday! The collaboration hit online and in stores 12/1 and features three bottles: two 17 oz. in Multi The Swim and Royal Lime Tiki Palm for $40, as well as a 25 oz. in You Gotta Regatta print for $50. If you missed this collaboration last time around, now's the perfect time to stock up--not to mention, gift the prepster in your life.

Huda Beauty has teamed up with Tweezerman on a special edition beauty tool collection that is perfect for holiday gifting. The collection features Huda Beauty’s signature lip prints on the award-winning Slant Tweezer ($26) and Mini Slant Tweezer ($17), a Tweezer and Mirror duo ($34), and a Slant Tweezer, Brow Shaping Scissors & Brush, 10x Mirror and Cosmetic Bag kit ($65).

November 2017: If you're as excited about the movie The Greatest Showman as we are, here's some exciting news: Zendaya, one of the film's stars, teamed up wtih Aqua on a seriously stunning collection just in time for the holidays. Featuring gorgeous special occasion dresses and accessories, these pieces have holiday party written all over them. Even better? The line is super affordable. Everything is under $200! Get your hands a few pieces before they sell out!

November 2017: Looking to upgrade your loungewear collection? Here's some good news. Cosabella partnered with home decor brand, DwellStudio, on a limited-edition collection of seriously stylish PJs. Not only are they super comfy and high quality, but the prints are so pretty. If you still need a cute set to wear on Christmas morning, this is it!

November 2017: Just in time for the holiday gifting season, Veuve Clicquot teamed up with designer Charlotte Olympia on a stunning holiday gift box. The outside features luxe gold lettering, while the leopard print inside houses a special edition bottle of Veuve Clicquot’s La Grande Dame 2006 champagne. Perfect for any hostess, you'll want to snag this gem before they're all gone.

October 2017: Longtime partners Keds and Kate Spade have teamed up on their first-ever line of baby, toddler and kids' footwear. The line includes four color options--silver, rose gold, cream and navy--and each pair comes with two sets of laces; one ribbon lace and one cotton lace. The line is priced $40-$60 and includes crib sizes 1-4, little kid sizes 5-10, and big kid sizes 10.5 - 6.

October 2017: Stitch Fix has teamed up with Jason Wu to offer five exclusive GREY Jason Wu designs for Stitch Fix clients, starting the end of October and running as long as supplies last. Stitch Fix x GREY Jason Wu includes 3 exclusive dress styles and 2 exclusive tops, all priced $225-$395, sizes 0-14.

"I’ve always been fascinated by the influence technology has on fashion, so I am thrilled to collaborate with a brand that’s at the forefront of modern retail," Jason says of the collaboration.

October 2017:7 For All Mankind and Splendid have teamed up with ‘Superinfluencer’ Danielle Bernstein of @WeWoreWhat on an exclusive capsule collection for Bloomingdales. The "elevated athleisure" line features 13 pieces from simple crop tops to ruffled shirting, lace-up sweatpants and bustier-detail sweatshirts. It retails for $54-$229 and just launched today! Trust us--you'll want it ALL.

October 2017: Draper James and Jack Rogers have teamed up again to give your shoe game a major prep update this holiday. Their new embroidered flats ($98) come in Midnight with "Hello Darlin'" on the toes, and in Black with "Pretty Please." The perfect gift for any Southern belle or stylish homebody on your list.

October 2017: In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Bloomingdale’s partnered with artist, Donald Robertson, on a customized, limited-edition S’well bottle. $19 from each sale will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

September 2017: Just in time for fall and all those holiday festivities on your calendar, Stella & Dot teamed up with Rebecca Minkoff on a seriously stunning collection of statement jewelry. We're talking gorgeous earrings, of-the-moment chokers and an amazing chunky bracelet coming in November. Quantities are limited, so shop ASAP!

September 2017: Just in time for the 4th season of "Broad City," comes a gift line of products that Abby and Ilana would definitely get behind: pins, a "Carpe Dayum" journal, stickers, notecards, and more. Fans of the show will appreciate the heaps of in-show jokes and references. It's the perfect holiday gift for your bestie. Yas kween!

September 2017: Dustin Lynch x Evine: The country singer, who just released his third album, Current Mood, is launching his new clothing collection at Evine, called “Stay Country." Price $35 to $75, the line features cold shoulder tees, jean jackets and embellished denim.

Shop the line when it debuts on Evine on September 25th at 7PM ET and again on September 26th at 10AM ET and 2PM ET.

September 2017: Spring has teamed up with eBay on a storefront full of incredibly cool brands (think Rag & Bone, Chloe, Mango, Vans and more). This is shopper's paradise.

September 2017: RACHEL Rachel Roy just released a limited edition "Choose Love" collection that benefits the World of Children international charity. 20% of all proceeds from her LOVE leather bag ($198), cashmere hate ($45), cashmere scarf ($68) and denim jacket ($159) will benefit the cause.

August 2017: Calling all 90s babies! LeSportsac teamed up with Nintendo on the most amazing collection of bags and small accessories ever. I'm talking a GameBoy Pouch, a mushroom-inspired coin purse and more. Once you finish geeking out, be sure to snatch up one of these limited-edition goodies before they're gone. Shop now >>

July 2017: Brit + Co just launched a collection of planners exclusively on Target that will put you in a really, really good mood. The line, which is totally customizable and priced $1.99-$14.99, is super colorful and not to mention motivational (Pinterest-worthy phrases like "You Got This" and "Everything Is Possible" are abound). Plus, a free Brit + Co class comes with each purchase!

July: Lululemon has collaborated with The Class by Taryn Toomey on an 11-piece limited edition collection of leggings, crops and bras, knit wraps and even a ribbed leotard. Priced $48- $108, the ballet-inspired line is getting snatched up quick.

June 2017: Banana Republic teamed up with textile company Piece & Co. on a limited-edition, responsibly produced Summer collection that helps support female artisans abroad. The African-influenced pieces beautifuly blend BR's signature style with hand-crafted fabrics sustainably produced by female-led artisan groups in Ghana and South Africa. Prices start at $24 and the collection is only available while supplies last.

June 2017: Tocca just released their Voyage Collection exclusively on Blue Mercury of 5 destination-themed scents: Bora Bora (vanilla and jasmine), Capri (grapefruit and melon), Marrakesh (patchouli and amber), Montauk (salt air and cucumber), and Valencia (orange blossom and bergamot). Each fragrance comes in a 10 oz. candle ($42), a 3 oz. candle ($20), a hand soap ($20) and hand lotion ($22). The next best thing to actually taking a trip!

June 2017: cooper & ella has teamed up with DREAM hotels and some of your favorite style bloggers--Krystal Bick of This Time Tomorrow, Grace Atwood of The Stripe and Christine Cameron of My Style Pill on a line of kaftan, tunics and pareos in three signature prints. The collection is priced $55-$88 and is absolutely irresistable for summer.

June 2017: Pepsi's new premium water, LIFEWTR, just launched their Series 2 bottles, featuring designs by emerging female artists Trudy Benson, Lynnie Z and Adrienne Gaither. We love these chic bottle designs and the fact that they empower female artists everywhere--not just the ones on the bottles. Girl power!

May 2017: The Hello Kitty Loungewear collection just dropped at Target.

May 2017: Calling all ban.do diehards! The L.A.-based lifestyle brand just announced their limited-edition collab with, wait for it, Starbucks! The 10-piece assortment of drinkware and accessories will be available starting May 16 at Starbucks locations throughout Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Based in the US, but want to get your hands on these limited-edition items? Visit bando.com/Starbucksgiveaway on May 16th to enter to win some ban.do x Starbucks merch!

May 2017: Step aside, rose gummy bears: green juice gummies are the next big thing! Sugarfina has teamed up with Pressed Juicery on the first-ever green juice gummy bears made with apple, lemon, ginger, and greens. They're natural, fat free and already trending on Instagram. Grab 'em before they sell out like the rose ones!

May 2017: Artist Jeff Koons has created a collectible tin for Kiehl's (as well as a public art installation in New York!) in honor of National Missing Children’s Month (May). Additionally, Kiehl’s will donate 100% of net profits from the sales of any Midnight Recovery Collection product, up to $100,000, to the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children. Gotta love that!

May 20167: Funny girls Erin and Sara Foster have partnered with Fridababy to create a series of hilarious Mother’s Day cards (they're all downloadable!). The LOL-worthy limited-edition cards truly encapsulate what everyone is thinking about the holiday.

May 2017: The much-anticipated Evoté nighttime skincare collection has launched at EVINE. Based off the scientific fact that beauty sleep is a real thing, the Evoté line's patent pending 12hr BioComplex transforms skin while you snooze. Grab any or all of the products-- the cleanser, neck & décolleté cream serum, eye cream, lip treatmen or hydrating mask--and you'll see results instantly.

May 2017: Calling all S'well lovers! The trendsetting bottle company teamed up with famed textile designer John Robshaw on two limited-edition bottles featuring Robshaw's stunning prints. The bottles are sold as part of a 'summer essentials kit' that includes a stunningly soft John Robshaw towel and the printed bottle in a pretty beach tote.

April 2017: Havaianas has teamed up with Disney to create the exclusive Disney Millennial collection. The limited edition styles feature exclusive prints of your favorite Disney characters like Beauty and the Beast, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Muppets and Alice In Wonderland.

Shop now.

April 2017: Dr. Scholl's teamed up with Anthropologie on four exclusive styles just in time for warm spring/summer weather! Featuring sandals, wedges and a pair of slip on sneakers, these are the only new shoes you need to make it through the season in style.

March 2017: Comic Con girls, rejoice! Havaianas has teamed up with Marvel on a collection of women's (plus men's and kid's) Superhero flip flops. Grab a slim pair adorned with Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron Man and more for $30.

March 2017: If you're heading to Coachella next month or have any other plans for festival season, this sunglasses collab has you covered. Quay teamed up with Jasmine Sanders, aka Golden Barbie, on a line of festival-inspired sunnies including cool gold reflective aviators and cat-eye frames with pretty sunset-inspired faded lenses.

March 9, 2017: When you buy Urban Decay's bestselling Eyeshadow Primer Potion in the new shade Fix, 100% of the purchase price will be donated to women's empowerment nonprofits selected by The Ultraviolet Edge, Urban Decay's global initiative to empower women

April 2017: Essie just teamed with Monique Lhuillier on a line of gorgeous bridal polishes for spring. The gel couture line features six new shades--"Lace To The Altar" (iridescent ivory), "Dress Is More" (sheer white), "Blush-Worhty" (peony pink), "Sage You Love Me" (dusty gray), "To Have & To Gold (metallic rose gold) and "Berry In Love" (plum red). All retail for $11.50 and last up to 14 days (aka, through the honeymoon!).

March 2017: Babies of the 90s are freaking that the new "Power Rangers" drops in less than a month (Elizabeth Banks and Bryan Cranston star!), and now fashion girls have a reason to celebrate, too: DANNIJO just launched an exclusive, under $150 jewelry line for the film. Bloggers like Chriselle Lim, We Wore What and Holland Roden are already obsessed.

March 2017: In honor of beloved child author Dr. Seuss' birthday on March 2, aka “Read Across America” day, Target has released a line of infant and toddler apparel as well as a special book promotion on all Dr. Seuss titles until March 11. Yay--a reason to fall in love with Dr. Seuss stories all over again.

March 2017:TOMS teamed up with WildAid Panda on a limited-edition collection of shoes for men, women and children. The proceeds from this collection will benefit conservation programs that help protect the remaining 2,000 giant pandas around the world.

March 2017: Brazilian footwear brand Melissa just added two new styles to their Jason Wu collaboration for spring summer 2017: the Diane ($79) and Wonderful ($95). As always, the shoes are 100% plastic, vegan and waterproof.

February 2017: Havaianas teamed up with cult swimwear brand We Are Handsome on two limited-edition sandals for spring. Inspired by the brand's "love for the beautiful things in life," the flip flops retail for $34 and are a must for any cool girl headed to the beach.

February 2017: Prabal Gurung has created a limited-edition collection for Lane Bryant, dropping in stores and online February 27. The line features minimalistic jumpsuits, full skirts and form-fitting dresses, priced $38 to $398.

November 2016: FRAME x Lara Stone: In the latest edition of "how to dress as an off-duty model" comes this limited edition capsule collection for FRAME. Price from $179 to $349, the line features 5 denim pieces, 3 sweaters and a bomber jacket, each decorated with Lara’s name. The orange you see throughout the line is an homage to her Dutch roots. Shop now.

November 2016: Splendid teamed up with lifestyle blogger and author Oh Joy! on a limited-edition sleepwear line that includes two super comfy PJ sets and two amazingly soft blankets. A portion of the proceeds from each sale benefits Baby2Baby, a charity that serves low-income children with basic everyday essentials.

November 2016: Just in times for the holidays, Jason Markk created a limited-edition set for J.Crew featuring sneaker-cleaning essentials. The goodies included work on any kicks and are perfect for any diehard shoe-lover.

November 2016: Pam & Gela designed crazy cool graphic tops and a stunning bomber jacket in partnership with LACMA. All proceeds from the sales of these limited-edition items benefit the museum and its programming.

November 2016: From socks to seriously amazing wool coats and maxi dresses, there's so much to love in the Kenzo for H&M collection. As with all H&M collabs, this one is going to sell out fast, so shop ASAP!

November 2016: Know someone who really loves socks? Upgrade their collection this holiday season with these limited-edition socks from Bombas and Shake Shack. The socks retail for just $12 and for each pair purchased, Bombas will donate a pair of socks to someone in need.

Hi ALLAN MACRAE, sorry for the late reply. You wrote:
<i>"I’ll take your bet, However, I really hope to be wrong".</i>
Fantastic. Let's clarify the ammount and the terms. I am willing to bet up to a maximum of one hundred dollars, feel free to choose a smaller ammount if you wish. You can choose the global temperatures database (for either the global surface temperatures OR global lower troposphere temperatures) to be used to decide the winner. There should not be any escape clauses, meaning that a huge volcanic eruption would make temperatures drop and make me very likely to fail, but I accept the risk, and you must also accept risks that may play against your bet, like for instance, the classic revisions of past temperatures making them colder. It is up to you to choose a temperatures data set that you feel is less likely to suffer past temperatures revisions.
Should you publicly accept the bet here, I publicly authorise the Mods to provide to you the email address that I am using to post this comment (which is the same address that I have always used in WUWT), for any further communications. Please do the same.
Best regards.

Let’s go team! All across the US the people are voting right now. People like YOU. BSA has readers and fans in many countries, but the brightest young people dominate across all of them. They know what we need – they just need to use their voices at the polls. If Millennials and Gen Z […]

Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, who has been charged with years of embezzling campaign money to fund a lavish lifestyle, has been re-elected to his seat in a solidly Republican suburban San Diego district.

Hunter, one of the two early Trump supporters to be charged with federal crimes this summer, defeated relatively unknown former Obama administration official Ammar Campa-Najjar in a race in which he slung racist accusations portraying his opponent as a “radical Muslim” with connections to terrorism.

Hunter and his wife were indicted in August, on the same afternoon that Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was convicted on eight fraud-related counts and Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations. Both Hunter and his wife pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The 60-count indictment included allegations of conspiracy, wire fraud, falsification of records, along with the misuse of campaign contributions. Details from the indictment indicated Hunter had used the funds to facilitate extramarital affairs and to take vacations to Hawaii, London, and Las Vegas. The indictment also alleged he’d used campaign cash to buy video games, computers, and other technology, and that the couple had used the funds at hotels, the dentist, the movies, the grocery store, a golf course, the hair salon, and many bars.

The two most inflammatory details involved his wife suggesting her husband buy shorts at a golf pro shop and list the purchase as golf balls “for the wounded warriors” and an instance in which Hunter tried to get a tour of a Navy base to cover for a $14,000 family vacation in Italy and, when he was told he could only do the tour on certain days, told his chief of staff to “tell the Navy to go fuck themselves.” The couple spent hundreds of thousands of campaign dollars on personal expenses.

Hunter’s racist attacks on his opponent gathered less national attention, but it featured heavily in his campaign against Campa-Najjar. In a speech, Hunter called his opponent a “radical Muslim” trying to “infiltrate Congress.” Campa-Najjar has said he is a Christian and was raised by his Mexican American mother after his Palestinian father left. Hunter has linked him to his paternal grandfather’s role in a terrorist attack at the 1972 Munich Olympics that killed 11 Israelis, and Hunter has called Campa-Najjar a “security risk.” Campa-Najjar held a security clearance under the Obama administration.

The upper-middle-class district went for Trump by 15 percentage points, so Hunter’s win did not come as a complete surprise. Hunter had served five terms, and his father represented the district before him. The district may not stay Republican forever, though. According to the New York Times, Latinos now make up one-third of the district’s residents.

ABOUT MEREDITH CORPORATION Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP) (www.meredith.com) has been committed to service journalism for 115 yrs. Today, Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms — including broadcast tv, print, digital, mobile and video — to provide consumers with content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners. Meredith's National Media Group reaches nearly 175 million unduplicated American consumers every month, including 80 percent of U.S. millennial women. Meredith is a leader in creating content across media platforms and life stages in key consumer interest areas, such as celebrity, food, lifestyle, home, parenting, beauty and fashion. Meredith also features robust brand licensing activities, including more than 3,000 SKUs of branded products at 4,000 Walmart stores across the U.S., and The Foundry, the company's state-of-the-art creative lab and content studio.

Today’s post was written by Laura Gayle, author of the blog Business Woman Guide. I am pleased that she has contributed to Omega HR Solutions. Check out her blog site for more interesting information. Millennials are now the largest population in our workforce, having reached this milestone in 2016 when they surpassed the numbers of Gen X, according […]

As much as I have loved Broad City, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer’s show about two funny, Jewish 20-somethings making it in New York, I was a bit off of season four last year. It wasn’t the fault of the show, which is a brilliant ethnographic expedition into millennial girls. It’s like an S. Ansky dive into the shtetl, but with laffs.

One hilarious season four episode seemed emblematic of this problem. Ilana, unable to have an orgasm, goes to a sex therapist. She’s diagnosed. It’s Trump’s fault. Then, as in a comic book, a pantheon of female superheroes (including Hillary Clinton) appear to save her. Kaboom! Still, the show’s insouciant rags-to-semi-riches and wacky fourth-wave feminism was less watchable in our mean new political era. (The show will end after a fifth and final season in January.)

For months upon months we have been bombarded with election stuff…..predictions and speculation will not stop until the votes are counted….. There is one group in this election that all pundits are concerned with that they may not go to the polls…..and they just cannot understand why Millennials would not vote. But why would they … Continue reading Will They Or Won’t They?→

To get the blood pumping: I laughed My wife reporting from the local community center on the huge number of millennials waiting to vote: “It looks like a line for avocado toast.” — Joe Heim (@JoeHeim) November 6, 2018 Not exactly a perfect form tackle to start things off, but it turns into a solid […]

Opening on-campus early voting sites, installing a practice voting booth with sample ballots and throwing election turnout parties: These are some of the ways college campuses across the country are trying to get students to vote in Tuesday's midterm election.

"We have nowhere to go but up," says Nancy Thomas, a researcher who studies college student voter participation at Tufts University.

Forty percent of 18- to 29-year-olds say they will "definitely vote" in the 2018 midterm election, according to the Harvard Institute of Politics' most recent national youth poll. That's compared to 26 percent who said the same in 2014.

But just because a student says they'll vote, doesn't mean they'll actually cast a ballot on election day, says John Della Volpe, the institute's director of polling. Still, it's possible youth activism, which Thomas says increased after the 2016 election, will motivate even more students to vote. It's certainly already motivated more young people to register, Della Volpe says.

"I think that for the first time, possibly, students are making the connection that if they want to see things change, they can't protest and rally and fight for their causes," says Zaneeta Daver, who focuses on political engagement on college campuses. "They actually need to act. And by acting, I mean participating in elections."

This isn't the first election cycle where colleges are taking an interest in whether their students vote, says Clarissa Unger, leader of the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, a group that promotes civic engagement on college campuses.

Colleges across the country have been working on boosting student voter turnout since at least 2012, when the Department of Education published a report calling on universities to increase civic engagement on campus. That spurred the growth of nonprofit organizations aimed at helping campuses encourage their students to vote, like Campus Vote Project, Unger says.

"It's not because of the political climate or who is in office now," Unger says. "It is the result of a lot of hard work by higher education associations, nonprofit organizations and researchers that have been working for years to lay the groundwork for high turnout in this election and for many elections to come."

College students, some of whom are part of the 18- to 29-year-old group, are also more interested in specific issues than traditional political parties, says Will Miller, who recently authored a report about politics on college campuses.

Clubs like College Democrats or College Republicans aren't the only options to get involved in politics on campus. Instead, students are gravitating toward issue-based clubs, like Dumbledore's Army, a club where Harry Potter fans discuss social issues, or surfing club, which cleans local beaches, Miller says.

"The traditional idea of, you know, 'I'm going to be a Democrat or I'm going to be a Republican because I believe everything Democrats or Republicans believe, I don't think that resonates with the college voter today," Miller says.

Issues are college students' "entry into politics," Miller says, and candidates need to focus on the issues that interest college students if they want to capture their support. Colleges can also increase student voter participation by teaching them that they can influence the issues they care about by voting, Miller says.

There's also some misconceptions about college student voters. Thomas, from Tufts University's Institute of Democracy and Higher Education, explains a few of them (and why they're wrong).

Myth 1: Students are uninformed.

College students have access to an academic environment to get informed before they vote, making them knowledgeable voters.

Myth 2: Most college students vote from out-of-state.

85 percent of college students in Tufts' data set (which included about 10 million students in 2016) are voting in the state they attend college. That doesn't mean they're all from the same state as their college, but most are, Thomas says.

Myth 3: College students all vote for Democrats.

College students right now are leaning left, but they don't all vote Democrat.

Myth 4: College education pushes students to the left

Research shows college students come to college with formed ideas, and that attending college isn't likely to move them politically to the left. "They are not these sort of empty vessels where you tip off the top of their head and pour knowledge into it," Thomas says.

It's not just today's college kids that vote at low rates. Baby Boomers and Generation X, the two generations that preceded millennials, voted at low rates when they were young adults, too, explains Harvard's Della Volpe.

Full-time Senior Pastor to replace retiring current Senior Pastor for a multi-cultural, multi-generational, Dispensational, Bible-based, discipleship-focused church in Central New Jersey.

Denomination: Independent Bible Church

Church Size: 225-300 Attendees

Basic Requirements

The applicant must be male (derived from 1 Timothy 2:12 and 3:2-7);

The applicant must hold a graduate degree (M. Div., M.A. In Ministry or equivalent) from a seminary that holds to and teaches a dispensational interpretation of Scripture;

The applicant must have at least five years’ experience as a pastor and/or chaplain, demonstrating an ability to administrate a church of comparable size to Calvary Bible Church (CBC);

The applicant must affirm in writing his unreserved agreement with the CBC Constitution and By-Laws, including our Statement of Faith (CBC Constitution and By-Laws, Sec. C.1.a.) and our stance on cessation of sign gifts and Dispensationalism; and

The applicant must complete the attached doctrinal questionnaire.

The full position description is below:

Calvary Bible Church Position Description

Senior Pastor

Summary Description: Under authority of the Scriptures the Senior Pastor of Calvary Bible Church is a male (I Timothy 2:12-3:7), who will give an account for the souls of his people (Hebrews 13:17). He will lead the pastoral staff and the
church body to exemplify Christ in their home, church, and community. He is responsible for equipping the body of all ages and of all stages of spiritual formation to have an opportunity to become devoted followers of Jesus the Christ. He will foster a small
group culture where people are led to Exalt God, to be Equipped, to Engage their gifts, and to Evangelize the lost (The 4E’s).

Hours: Full Time

Reports To: Official Board/Church body

Schedule and work location:

Four-day workweek primarily in the office and also on Sunday. The Executive Committee (comprised of the Senior Pastor, Elder Chair and Deacon Chair) will determine days in office during the week. In addition, attendance at relevant meetings, one-on-one
mentoring/coaching and events is required.

Responsibilities:

Pastoral Duties:

Worship- Exalt God

Preach weekly, usually ten times per quarter

Keep 4E’s and the small group format/model alive and vibrant in preaching/teaching

Performs ordinances: communion and baptism

Meetings

Leads weekly staff meetings and prayer time

Chairs Official Board meetings and serves on Elder Board

Chairs all business meetings

Ex-Officio member of all committees

Administration

Oversees church meetings and sets agendas

Supervises office staff

Oversees Facebook and Web page

Oversees implementation of 4 E’s discipleship process of developing the lay leaders of small groups, building their ministry capabilities, holding them accountable for their 4E Discipleship Strategy, and ministering to them as a pastor.

Embraces CBC’s doctrinal views with instincts that match CBC’s ministry philosophy and a good fit with the overall ministry team.

Strong theological and doctrinal understanding.

Exhibits a spiritual maturity and balance in his personal life that is based on maintaining a private devotional time of study, self-examination, prayer; physical exercise and mentoring, and confirmed by a Spirit-filled walk, Godly home life, a love of
people, and humility in service to others.

Experience Requirements: Minimum of five years’ experience as Pastor/Chaplain demonstrating an ability to administrate a church of a comparable size to CBC. Counseling experience and proven track record of leadership of a staff of at least
four.

Salary: Commensurate with experience.

Applicants please include the following documents with your application:

Current resume

Salvation testimony

Completed doctrinal questionnaire (below)

Signed Agreement with CBC Statement of Faith (below)

Please send completed application packets and any questions to PNC@calvarybiblechurchnj.org.

Church Website: www.calvarybiblechurchnj.org

Calvary Bible Church

2018 DOCTRINAL QUESTIONNAIRE – SENIOR PASTOR

(Please complete fully)

Contact Information

Name:

Current Church Address:

Telephone Number(s):

Email Address:

Website:

Other:

Please explain your doctrinal views on each of these topics (A response is required for each item):

The Bible

The Trinity

God the Father

The Lord Jesus Christ

The Holy Spirit

Man

Sin

Salvation

The Eternal Security and Assurance of Salvation

Separation (Ecclesiastical and Personal)

Creation

The Church

The Personality of Satan

Believers’ Water Baptism

The Lord’s Supper

The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts

What is your belief regarding the purpose of spiritual gifts?

What spiritual gifts do you possess?

What is your belief regarding prophecy, signs and wonders, tongues, and miracles?

What is your belief regarding the role of men and women in the local church ministry and positions they may hold?

Please outline your thoughts/beliefs regarding the following topics:

Dispensational Hermeneutics

Calvinism

Reformed Theology

Covenant Theology

Please provide a short testimony of your salvation experience.

Anything else that we should know about you?

Do you have any other comments or questions about Calvary Bible Church?

If you have any questions regarding this questionnaire, do not hesitate to contact the Pulpit Nominating Committee (PNC@calvarybiblechurchnj.org).

Thank you and may God bless you in your service to Him.

CALVARY BIBLE CHURCH

STATEMENT OF FAITH

Extracted from the Calvary Bible Church Constitution and Bylaws

Revised November 20th, 2016

ARTICLE IV – Statement of Faith

Section A – The Holy Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally, fully inspired Word of God; the final authority in all matters of doctrine, faith, and conduct. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13).

Section B – The Godhead

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians
13:14).

Section C – God the Father

God the Father is the sovereign authority, who is the Father of all creation, who authored the divine decrees, who gave His Son for our redemption and His Holy Spirit for our sanctification, in order to glorify Himself. He is loving and just, “not willing
that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (Psalm 139; Deuteronomy 10:14-15; John 17:1-6; 15:26; I Peter 1:16; II Peter 3:9).

Section D – The Lord Jesus Christ

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. (John 1:1, 2, 14; Luke
1:35).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the Cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Romans
3:24, 25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of representative Intercessor and Advocate. (Acts 1:9, 10; Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1,
2).

We believe in the “Blessed Hope”, the personal, imminent, pretribulational and premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in the subsequent return to earth with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom. (I Thessalonians
4:13-18; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6; 3:10; I Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9).

Section E – The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit, a Person of the Godhead, convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers at conversion into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing
them unto the day of redemption.

We believe, as the Author and Interpreter of the Holy Scriptures, He is the Divine Teacher Who guides believers into all truth and that it is the joyous responsibility of all believers to be filled with the Spirit. (II Peter 1:20-21; John 12:8-11; II Corinthians
3:6; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18; I John 2:20, 27; John 16:7-11; Psalm 51:10-11; Titus 3:5; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13).

Section F – Man

We believe that man was created by God in His image and likeness. In Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and we believe that man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.
(Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22, 23; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).

Section G – Salvation

We believe that man’s salvation is the gift of God brought to him by God’s grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7;
I Peter 1:18, 19).

Section H – The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38, 39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:5).

We believe it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus
2:11-15).

Section I – The Two Natures of the Believer

We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural.
(Romans 6:13; 8:12, 13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 3:5-9).

Section J – Separation

We believe that the scripture clearly teaches that it is the will of God for every believer to be set apart by the Word of God, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, unto God; not conformed to the world but fully consecrated to the will of God, thereby,
receiving power for holy living and effective service. The Christian is further exhorted to be separate from religious apostasy and binding yokes with unbelievers. (Romans 12:1-2; I Corinthians 6:14-18; II Peter 2:1-3; I John 2:15-17; II John; Jude 3, 4).

Section K – The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts and that the offices of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are given for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body, and that manifestation sign
gifts of speaking in tongues and the working of miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established. (I Corinthians 12:4-11; II Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12).

We believe that God does hear and answer all prayers of faith in accordance with His own will, including those for the sick and afflicted. (I John 5:14-15; Matthew 21:21-22; James 5:14-15).

Section L – The Church

We believe that the church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age. (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2).

We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 26-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin, and the cause of the fall, that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job. 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation
20:10).

Section N – The Eternal State

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men: the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5, 6, 12, 13).

We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord.

We believe that the spirits of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the great White Throne Judgment and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated,
but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. (Luke 16:19-25; Revelation 20:11-15; Matthew 25:41-46; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23).

ATTESTATION

I am in unreserved agreement with the Calvary Bible Church Statement of Faith.

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At 8:01 p.m., Associated Press declared Ayanna Pressley would become the first black woman member of Congress from Massachusetts, since she had no opposition in her race in the 7th Congressional District, after defeating incumbent Mike Capuano in the September primary.

Pressley's ascension from the Boston City Council to Congress means perennial candidate Althea Garrison will become an at-large city councilor in January, since she is losing in a rout in the 5th Suffolk state rep's race to Liz Miranda, who will replace Evandro Carvalho.

Speaking to her supporters, Pressley said she was not going to deliver a victory speech. Only when we have "equity, justice and equality," she said, will she deliver one.

Pressley said women of color don't face just a glass ceiling, but a concrete one. "But you know what breaks through concrete? Seismic shifts. Drastic change."

As a black woman, she said, she was constantly asked: "Is your appeal broad enough? Are you playing identify politics? Can you really inspire millennials and the faith-based community? Can a congresswoman wear her hair in braids, rock a black leather jacket and bold red lips?"

She vowed to work to protect trans rights, to help college students facing "crippling student debt," to keep immigrant families "safe and together" and to deal with the epidemic of gun violence and trauma.

She said her election and others are "a mandate for hope."

And she cautioned fellow Democrats she will not moderate her beliefs. "We are the party of workers, the party of immigrant rights and women's rights, and people of color. And we are the party of survivor's rights. ... We don't have to wait our turn we don't have to wait for change. I still believe in the power of us. And change is on the way."

In another unsurprising result, Charlie Baker was re-elected govenor. Elizabeth Warren is also cruising to a second term, as Senator, over two right wingers.

In her speech, Warren said that, at least for the next two years, the House of Representatives, the people's house, is going to do a lot more work for the people."

But she also warned Republicans to watch out - that the millions of women who were disgusted by Trump's election would continue to persist.

"This resistance began with women and it is being led by women tonight," she said. After Trump's election, women didn't whimper, they didn't whine, they fought back. ...They refused to let anyone shut them up or stand in their way. And that is how real change begins."

And she vowed to fight for the "millions of Americans getting ripped off by a rigged economy and by a corrupt government in Washington." Specifically, she vowed to continue fighting "Donald Trump and his corrupt friends" and Mitch McConnell to keep them from raiding the treasury for rich people and to steal health care for millions of Americans.

If your name is Michael Connelly, Lee Child, or Harlan Coben, you don’t have to worry about audiences finding your books. Those guys—and the select few authors in the same category of general popularity and writing excellence—have established a brand, hooked an audience, and set themselves up for continued readership.... Read more

If you want to grow your Instagram following, pay special attention to this is episode with Ross Johnson and Rachel Bell, co-founders of Trill Media, an Instagram marketing agency that helps brands increase their audience engagement, create a tribe of millennial/GenZ buyers, and become highly influential on Instagram.

In this episode, you’ll learn what’s the drama triangle and what role might you be, how to create organic and authentic following on Instagram, how to generate sales on Instagram with less 4k followers, why you shouldn’t compete on price and follow what others do, how to position yourself in the right way and give valuable content which leads to sales, how Ross and Rachel used their savings to pay a mentor and went from 2k a month to 150k in the 4 months after, and much more.

Shrugged Collective is a network of fitness, health and performance shows that help people achieve their physical and mental health goals. Usually in the gym, but outside as well. In 2012 they posted their first Barbell Shrugged podcast and have been putting out weekly free videos and podcasts ever since.

Along the way we've created successful online coaching programs including The Shrugged Strength Challenge, The Muscle Gain Challenge, FLIGHT, Barbell Shredded, and Barbell Bikini.

We're also dedicated to helping affiliate gym owners grow their businesses and better serve their members by providing owners tools and resources like the Barbell Business Podcast.

Find Shrugged Collective and their flagship show Barbell Shrugged here:

Today is election day, and this week, the Guys Who Law discussed absurd voter registration laws, how important it is to vote in today’s midterm elections, and how millennials are anticipated to turnout at the polls today. Jesse & Andrew also talk about how inconvenient it is to vote and how difficult some state laws […]

JPMorgan Chase, for one, says it's having no struggle at all when it comes to hiring engineers and developers to build out its vast digital ambitions.

At a financial conference Tuesday, Gordon Smith, co-president and consumer banking chief at JPMorgan, said the bank has "honestly had no problems attracting that talent at all. It's actually been very exciting."

"It's actually been very easy," Smith told Erika Najarian, an equity-research head at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, at the conference.

While state-of-the art tech offices — in addition to Hudson Yards, the firm in September announced a new fintech office in Palo Alto to house 1,000 employees — likely help, the scale of JPMorgan's opportunity is what Smith highlighted. Here's the exchange:

Smith: I was talking to some of our developers, and I asked them — I often do — 'Where'd you come from?' And they come from the gaming industry, not the gambling industry, the gaming industry.

Najarian: Fortnite, yes.

Smith: Yes. And I said what attracted you to JP Morgan Chase from gaming? They said, "Well it's so exciting. When we do something with JPMorgan, we can hit thirty, forty, fifty million customers." And there's a little bit bragging rights when you're talking to your friends and you can say you know, "Well I've worked on this component of the mobile experience." So we've had great success at attracting talent and retaining them.

The talent needed to build that vision doesn't come cheap. Smith said the company is increasingly trimming the number of call-center jobs it has in the $30,000-a-year range and instead adding "digital designers, software programmers, software engineers, artificial intelligence PhDs" at the $100,000 to $150,000 range.

One unfortunate reality of the current education system is that many young people leave college without really having an understanding of how to handle their finances. Since many millennials don’t reach financial autonomy until after they graduate from university, plenty of professionals in their 20s don’t know how to make wise money choices now. On […]

A young millennial male with intellectual challenges, seeking a support worker to accompany me to be active and to engage in my community.... $18 - $21 an hourFrom Indeed - Tue, 30 Oct 2018 14:55:39 GMT - View all Erin, ON jobs

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx to a working-class family. Her mom is Puerto Rican and her dad is a Bronx native.

Her parents were disappointed in their local schooling system, so her extended family helped fund a move to a better school district.

Shuttling between New York's poorest borough in Bronx, where her extended family lived, and more affluent boroughs was her first experience of income inequality, she toldThe Intercept.

She went to Boston University, where she studied economics and international relations. After graduation she took up bartending and waitressing jobs to supplement her mother's income as a housecleaner and bus driver.

Boris, a U Host, stood before a group of river cruisers relaxing in the U Lounge, a gathering space seemingly designed by Alice's Wonderland of Furnishings. He wore all black, as if he had just rolled in from a night of chasing the...

Millennials do ask for more work when they've finished their current project. However, a lot of companies underutilize this group and do not involve them in big picture conversations. So after asking for additional work and being given little to none, they give up and will eventually move on to a company that values them. And in the meantime, yes that includes being on their phone.
The problem with older generations is exactly what you mentioned in your comment, "When I was an intern.." or "when I was your age...". Older generations are too busy worrying about what they had to do to get to where they are now to realize that the working world doesn't operate the same way anymore.

The fact that you listed 1, 3 & 4 tells me millennials have no initiative. When I was an intern, I asked for more work when I was finished with a project or inquired if I wanted to know more about something. Sounds like these young adults need to be spoon fed everything. Why gravitate to your phone and texting when there is more to do and learn? Just ask.

DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP; meredith.com), the leading media and marketing company with national brands serving 175 million unduplicated Americans, including 80 percent of U.S. millennial women and a paid subscription base of more than...

[…] “Not every memoir should come from the God-like perspective of a wizened person. Some stories are best told from the young mind. In a piece at the New York Times, Stein writes, “I am writing for other millennials, who have grown up flirting through texts and breaking up over email.” Her work needed to come out when it did. If she waited until she were older, wiser, farther away, everyone who needs to hear the story would be far away, too.” – Why We Need Young Memoirists […]

ABOUT MEREDITH CORPORATION Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP) (www.meredith.com) has been committed to service journalism for 115 yrs. Today, Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms — including broadcast tv, print, digital, mobile and video — to provide consumers with content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners. Meredith's National Media Group reaches nearly 175 million unduplicated American consumers every month, including 80 percent of U.S. millennial women. Meredith is a leader in creating content across media platforms and life stages in key consumer interest areas, such as celebrity, food, lifestyle, home, parenting, beauty and fashion. Meredith also features robust brand licensing activities, including more than 3,000 SKUs of branded products at 4,000 Walmart stores across the U.S., and The Foundry, the company's state-of-the-art creative lab and content studio.

Think you know what Millennial buyers are looking for? You may not know about these interesting home amenities that are attracting many Millennials to homes that have them. Of course, Millennials want Smart home technology capability and open concept floor plans. But these picky buyers are also starting to look for other home amenities that will fit their lifestyles like:
Secure Outdoor Buildings and Spaces
Millennials are so comfortable with online shopping that they prefer to shop for everything online, even groceries. But there has been a huge jump in the theft of packages thanks to this surge in online shopping. Many viral videos have made the rounds showing thieves taking packages from the front and side doors of homes even in great neighborhoods. Since Millennials tend to online shop for almost everything a great new home amenity that is attracting Millennial buyers is having a secured shed or closet near the front or side door. Some of these secure areas have electronic or smart locks that can be controlled with a phone app so Millennials can open the space for deliveries then lock it themselves after an item has been delivered. But whether it has an electronic lock or not secure spaces for delivery packages is a big incentive for Millennial buyers.
Neighborhoods with Sidewalks and Stores
For Millennials driving everywhere isn’t ideal. Many of them move to the suburbs from heavily urban environments where they can walk and take public transportation. Some may not even own cars. So, Millennials are looking for neighborhoods that have nice sidewalks and paths and they like neighborhoods that are close to stores and restaurants so they can walk or take a bike to pick up items. New construction communities that have a convenience store, fitness center, and sidewalks throughout the community are very popular with Millennial buyers.
Low Maintenance Homes
Millennial buyers don’t always have the budget for brand new high-end homes but that doesn’t mean they don’t want the convenience of a new home. Millennials are less likely than past generations to be willing to buy fixer upper homes and starter homes that need a little bit of work. Millennials would much rather buy homes that are retrofitted with low maintenance materials like fiber cement siding and other materials that require almost no maintenance. So, sellers of older homes may want to consider refurbishing their older homes with modern building elements and materials if they want to attract Millennial buyers. Although it can be costly to get new siding or a new roof for an older home the investment will pay off by making that home a lot more attractive to younger buyers and can increase the price of the home.
Read more about living in Edmonton, AB, or Looking For Edmonton Real Estate Agent. Gurpreet Ghatehora & Associates Remax River City Edmonton.
Looking To Buy Home In Edmonton & Area. Browse All Update MLS Listings Now.

Google was hit by a global employee walkout over the way it treats sexual harassment allegations, but it is still ranked #1 among millennials, according to the Reputation Institute, followed by Rolex and Walt Disney. Corporate responsibility is the key to earning the trust of this key demographic.

Bongani speaks to Jake Willis, a recruitment expert, to get tips on how companies can make sure young people stay longer, building a 'millennial-friendly' working environment, and how job seekers can find and keep jobs. Jake also shares his entrepreneurial journey and ideas for business growth.
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Khanyisa sits down with Dumi Gumbi and Petronella Tshuma, the producer and main actress in 'The Tokoloshe' - one of the first mainstream horror movies produced, shot and edited right here in South Africa. Then singer and songwriter Lucille Slade shares her soulful vocals and inspiring plans for her music in the future.
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ABOUT MEREDITH CORPORATION Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP) (www.meredith.com) has been committed to service journalism for 115 yrs. Today, Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms — including broadcast tv, print, digital, mobile and video — to provide consumers with content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners. Meredith's National Media Group reaches nearly 175 million unduplicated American consumers every month, including 80 percent of U.S. millennial women. Meredith is a leader in creating content across media platforms and life stages in key consumer interest areas, such as celebrity, food, lifestyle, home, parenting, beauty and fashion. Meredith also features robust brand licensing activities, including more than 3,000 SKUs of branded products at 4,000 Walmart stores across the U.S., and The Foundry, the company's state-of-the-art creative lab and content studio.

One of the most exciting topics in recent literature is focused on the travel behaviour of Millennials. These 'young adults' promote a change towards the so-called soft modes, such as cycling, what could become an opportunity to facilitate the transition t...

In June, the Supreme Court ruled that public-sector employees who are represented by unions in collective bargaining can’t be obligated to pay dues to those unions. Legal observers say that decision, in Janus v. AFSCME, could presage a similar ruling regarding private-sector unions. More broadly, Janus was a stark victory for the 1 percent, underlining a decades-long trend of working- and middle-class wage stagnation. It was the kind of development liable to outrage both politically engaged liberals and politics-averse but pocketbook-conscious swing voters. It was, in other words, a potentially catalyzing moment for the Democratic Party, a chance to make the case for the practical necessity of progressivism in clear and stirring terms during a crucial election year.

Presented with this opportunity, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi … did not rise to the occasion. “With this decision,” she said at a press conference, “the Supreme Court became the Supreme Corp.”

“That’s as in short for corporation,” she added helpfully. It’s a play on words! Woof.

“Supreme Corp.” is not the only egregious Democratic messaging swing-and-miss in recent memory. The most high-stakes such failure may have occurred in 2016’s first general-election presidential debate, when Hillary “Pokémon Go to the Polls” Clinton made laborious work of introducing a disparaging catchphrase for Donald Trump’s economic plan—“Trumped-up trickle-down”—that, suffice it to say, did not actually become a catchphrase. This foreshadowed Democratic efforts at Trump-related wordplay that continue to this day and have a collective batting average of .000. Senate Dems’ painfully awkward slogan during the Obamacare repeal battle, “Make America Sick Again,” was if anything a reminder of how Trump is way better at this stuff. (Relatedly, in May, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued that the president’s tariff policies would “make China great again” and that they demonstrate “the art of a bad deal.”) Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, riffed on the repeal bill’s “Trumpcare” nickname by suggesting it should instead be called “Trump doesn’t care.” (Zing!) In June, Assistant Senate Minority Leader Patty Murray wrote that “as a candidate, President Trump talked a big game on lowering drug prices, but after 500 days in office the only health care ‘Price’ he has dropped is his former Secretary.” That would be ex-Trump administration Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. Hey-o! Barf.

Two years into the Trump presidency, the prominent Democrats who are called upon most frequently to speak on the party’s behalf about our many national crises—Pelosi, Schumer, other high-ranking legislators, the officials and surrogates of the Democratic National Committee—seem congenitally incapable of communicating in a way that is not beside the point and laden with clichés. This is in and of itself not totally crippling to the party’s electoral chances—there’s a lot that goes into messaging besides catchy sound bites. The toothlessness of establishment Dems is even somewhat understandable, given the way Pelosi, Schumer, and others came of age in an era in which the deployment of cautious, folksy rhetoric was a winning strategy. But it seems at least worth considering that, in 2018, being more direct, more aggressive, and more not-world-historically-lame—being, say, more like Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, who concisely and virally said during a debate with his opponent Ron DeSantis that “I’m not calling Mr. DeSantis a racist. I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s a racist”—could help the party rally supporters, establish a rapport with new voters, frame news coverage in advantageous ways, and, like, actually win elections for once.

* * *

While Donald Trump’s presidency has been the grotesque circus of crude behavior, practical incompetence, and artless corruption that many feared it would be, he has retained enough support in his own party and among independents to keep the bottom from falling out. Democrats are doing OK in the polls—they lead on the generic congressional ballot by more than 8 points—but not much better than opposition parties typically do during midterms. An April Reuters/Ipsos survey, meanwhile, found that support for the Democratic Party declined among 18-to-34-year-old voters by 9 percentage points in two years, and the Democrats are in danger of losing six Senate seats they currently hold. The party’s leaders, rather than riding a wave of opposition energy, are fighting to maintain their positions. Pundits and lower-level elected officials routinely call for Pelosi and Schumer to be replaced, while the 56-year-old New York congressman who was considered the top candidate to succeed Pelosi lost his primary campaign to 29-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

It’s too simplistic to suggest that elite Democrats have failed to capitalize on the #resistance to Trump because their talking points are alarmingly witless. It’s not unfair, though, to argue that their rhetoric has failed to meet the moment. The horrifying wordplay is just one of many problems. Another recurring, futile trope is the theatrical performance of hope that Republicans are about to begin respecting civic ideals. (Narrator: They aren’t.) On the March day that Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson via tweet and news broke that a woman who’d helped cover up torture would be nominated to run the CIA, Schumer announced that he hoped new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would “turn over a new leaf” in U.S. diplomacy. (He hasn’t.) Pelosi’s statement complained that Tillerson had been treated in “humiliating” fashion, as if the personal feelings of an oil executive who’d signed on to carry out the whimsical demands of an idiot president are of any concern to anyone. Both statements seemed more directed to imaginary sympathetic Republicans in the Trump administration than to the general public, much less to potential Democratic voters—and as Splinter’s Libby Watson noted, neither mentioned torture.

The national party’s stale sloganeering seems closely linked to its strategic tendency toward borderline-comical caution and overestimation of Republican good faith. In April, when media reports indicated Trump may have been planning to fire Robert Mueller’s boss and protector, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, National Journal reported that Virginia Sen. Mark Warner—the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee—had told his fellow Democrats that, in the event Rosenstein were fired, the party should withhold comment until a “one- or two-day cooling-off period” had passed, during which they could organize bipartisan opposition. (Warner’s staff denies that he said this.) The DNC, for its part, suggested in distributed talking points that Democratic media surrogates respond to another Mueller-firing rumor by stating, “It is time for the GOP to draw a line in the sand and make clear that any attempt by Trump to fire Mueller would cross a red line.” (Yes—drawing one line, in the sand, to prevent Trump from crossing a different line.) Sen. Tim Kaine complained in the spring that Trump was “tanking” the “bipartisan congressional efforts” to protect DACA participants. Indeed, who besides anyone familiar with every single thing Donald Trump has done and said since 2015 could have foreseen that he would not look out for the best interests of undocumented Mexicans and Central Americans?

* * *

It’s worth noting that national-level talking points are only one component of the broader political-messaging picture. Midterm elections are conducted in states and congressional districts, and quotes emanating from Washington aren’t necessarily of great concern to voters choosing between local candidates. Many voters intentionally tune out day-to-day political news, Lori Lodes of Get America Covered told me, because “people don’t like politicians and they don’t like politics.”* Campaign messaging thus relies heavily on paid media: television spots, Facebook ads, direct mail. This kind of direct-to-voter material needs to convey the totality of a candidate’s personality, qualifications, and beliefs to an audience that might not have heard their name before, and it’s not necessarily designed to traffic in pithiness.

María Urbina, the national political director of the Indivisible grassroots organizing group, noted that a good campaign message comes from “having folks who look and feel more like ordinary neighbors,” who are demographically representative of their districts and who have earned credibility by participating in civic life at the local level. This election cycle’s two mega-viral Democratic ads, released by House candidates Amy McGrath in Kentucky and MJ Hegar in Texas, both pivot from red state–friendly stories of personal perseverance (both women overcame sexism and institutional barriers to become military pilots) to populist promises to persevere against big-money interests in Washington. And both McGrath and Hegar are now in competitive races despite challenging Republican incumbents in, you know, Kentucky and Texas.

Democrats have also won clear public-opinion majorities on issues like taxes and health care with the help of campaigns that privilege the stories of average voters over the charisma (or lack thereof) of party leaders. The Republican attempt to repeal Obamacare, for instance, failed after an extended nationwide pushback in which people with disabilities and pre-existing conditions spoke to legislators at town halls, protested at the Capitol, and made their voices heard in (Democrat-abetted) television advertisements. Legislators like Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton, who reversed his position on Obamacare repeal and voted for the Trump-supported American Health Care Act, became the target of ads in which constituents described how repeal could’ve devastated their lives.

The point of highlighting nonprofessionals, said Lodes, an ex–Obama administration and Hillary Clinton campaign staffer who coordinated messaging for the anti-repeal movement, is that “real people aren’t scripted.” (To be clear, those Michigan ads are extremely scripted, but the broader point still stands.) A personal testimonial that voters can connect to their own lives—or that can be delivered to an undecided legislator in person—can have more impact than a catchy turn of phrase.

Democrats are not necessarily total losers, messaging-wise. But they succeed by working around, not with, their leaders. Consider the success of Crooked Media, the company created in 2017 by the three former Obama staffers who host the podcast Pod Save America. As documented by my colleague Isaac Butler, the Crooked formula is to use humor and outrage to articulate and validate its liberal audience’s Trump-era frustration, and then to channel that frustration by encouraging and helping readers and listeners to take action.

The company’s chief content officer, Tanya Somanader—a veteran of Nancy Pelosi’s office—told me that Crooked Media is “testing the theory” of whether old-fashioned grassroots mobilization can be triggered by new-fashioned, more forthright modes of political discourse. A case in point came in late October, when company co-founder Jon Lovett told Stephen Colbert, in reference to the right-wing theory that Democrats are coordinating the Central American immigrant caravan, that it’s ludicrous to think “Democrats are organizing voters in Honduras” when “we can’t even organize voters in Pennsylvania.” The podcast star then launched a #ProveLovettWrong campaign in which he solicited evidence that there are, in fact, an abundance of motivated and disciplined Dems in Pennsylvania.

Crooked is essentially a heart-lung machine for Democratic messaging, performing the personality-driven, inspirational functions the party’s national leaders can’t seem to handle themselves. The media firm’s loose structure allows it to avoid the too-many-cooks phenomenon, in which all individuality and color get sanded off by the time a message is ready for broadcast. One Democratic communications consultant described being quagmired in just such a situation at the moment he got my email about this story: “I’m now on a conference call where eleven different consultants, several of whom I don’t even know what their actual jobs are, are nipping and tucking at a draft and rendering it completely inert and bloodless.” The same consultant later explained how developing a novel and humanlike message is a priority that can get lost in the other logistics of campaigning. “My experience is that the national party is very concerned with the blocking and tackling, budget and field plan, and is less concerned with elevating communications people,” he said. “If you’re a candidate and you’re running for Congress for the first time and you feel like if you make any mistake you’re not just going to blow your own career but you’re going to get some asshole Republican elected, or if you’re a campaign manager and you’ve got the [Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee] calling you every day and the only thing they want to talk about is budget—there isn’t a lot of space to sit down and say, here’s my story. The incentive is to be risk averse and blend in and be cautious.”

Cautious is the key word there. The Democratic leadership class is reflexively timid on issues of policy, strategy, and style. As a recent piece in Dissent magazine by activist Mark Egerman and progressive data analyst Sean McElwee documented, party leaders attempted to intervene in multiple locations during the 2018 cycle to push out candidates who had sharp, left-leaning messages in favor of more wealthy, donor-connected, and moderate politicians. But polling compiled by McElwee’s group Data for Progress has found that Democratic voters are generally more progressive on issues like the $15 minimum wage and Medicare for all than the senators who represent them, while an oft-cited 2013 study found that Democratic politicians consistently overestimate the conservativism of their constituents.

For the Democrats’ two congressional leaders, the caution doesn’t just apply to nuts-and-bolts policy. Pelosi, asked during a CNN town hall about football players who protest police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem, declined to say she supported their actions. A few weeks later, Schumer implicitly but pointedly chastised California Rep. Maxine Waters for encouraging protesters to “create a crowd” around Trump administration officials in public. The Senate minority leader called Waters’ suggestion “not American.”

* * *

Why are the 67-year-old Schumer and 78-year-old Pelosi so cautious? Probably because they got their starts at a time when Democratic presidential candidates like George McGovern and Walter Mondale were getting splattered against walls by conservative candidates who portrayed them as radical hippies who would raise taxes to finance the Black Panthers. As McElwee put it, “Democrats lost a series of very brutal elections with incredibly left progressive people on the ticket. People saw it as losing elections because they were the party of abortion, acid, and amnesty.” (Perfectly enough, the phrase “acid, amnesty, and abortion”—which was deployed as a pejorative summary of McGovern’s alleged agenda, the “amnesty” referring to his position on draft evasion—originated not with Richard Nixon’s henchmen but in an anonymous quote given during the 1972 primary by moderate Democrat Thomas Eagleton, who McGovern then chose, unawares, as his running mate.)

The McGovern-traumatized Democratic Party subsequently found great success under Bill Clinton, a president who “reformed” welfare, balanced the federal budget, signed a crime bill that’s become synonymous with mass incarceration, and even encouraged public schools to make their students wear uniforms. Rhetorically, Clinton branded these suburban-parent-safe compromise positions with common-sense formulations that conceded validity to opposing views: “mend it, don’t end it” for affirmative action; “don’t ask, don’t tell” for LGBTQ presence in the military; “safe, legal, and rare” for abortion. He campaigned to “end welfare as we know it,” a phrase notable for the way it could describe almost any position on the issue. Clinton won two national elections by wide margins, and the Democratic fetish for rhetoric that “reaches across the aisle” can in some ways be seen as a nostalgic lament—a desire, as 30 Rock put it, to make it 1997 again through science or magic.

It’s not the ’90s anymore. Clinton’s cutesy phrases and reasonable-centrist fetish were appropriate, at least in a mercenary electoral sense, given the political terrain of the time. He ran for the presidency against George H.W. Bush, and while we shouldn’t overnostalgize the elder Bush’s record, he was a more personally dignified and less ideologically extreme Republican than Donald Trump, having signed a 1990 law that raised taxes and later quitting the NRA because he felt its rhetoric was too inflammatory. Crime rates are much lower now than they were then, and the danger of runaway deficits and economic stagnation are no longer top of mind for many voters. Clinton’s Electoral College path, moreover, involved winning over blue-collar Southern whites, which is not true for Democrats today. The terrain has changed, but leaders like Pelosi and Schumer seem unable to shake the urge to speak as if our two major parties still share the same set of concerns and civic beliefs. It’s likely not a coincidence that the members of Schumer and Pelosi’s generation who inspire the most enthusiasm among younger voters—Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren—did not make their careers within the Democratic Party apparatus.

There is ample contemporary evidence that when it comes to messaging, “business-friendly and compromise-y” is not as necessary as it once might have been. Gillum won the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Florida and is now the favorite to win the general election, while saying that the “stand your ground” gun law made famous after Trayvon Martin’s killing “has no place in civilized society.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beat Pelosi’s presumed successor, Rep. Joe Crowley, while embracing the term “socialist.” Beto O’Rourke is putting a scare into Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas while defending protesting NFL players as civil rights heroes.

Democrats like Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, meanwhile, helped make the Trump family-separation policy into an urgent crisis by simply visiting detention sites and speaking about what they saw—effective political theater that conveyed the stomach-churning impact of the Trump administration without much in the way of “messaging” mediation.

Merkley’s video, and the Trump walk-back that followed, demonstrated the possibility of meaningful action in an era of formal Democratic powerlessness. The Democratic consultant mentioned above praised it as the kind of messaging that shifts attention to an issue on which Democrats have a public-opinion advantage, also citing Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy’s 2016 gun-control filibuster and Warren’s hearing-room depositions of shady financial-world CEOs.

Then there’s Sanders, who won 43 percent of the Democratic primary vote despite having started his campaign with minimal name recognition or donor and institutional support compared with the more “electable” Hillary Clinton (who then lost the general election). Sanders spoke about both problems and potential solutions in no-nonsense, moralistic terms. Here’s how he addressed the hollowing of the middle class: “It is a rigged economy, an economy in which we have today a grotesque level of income and wealth inequality, which is unsustainable and un-American.” Sanders on health care: “We should not be paying by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs at a time—listen to this—when the top three drug companies in this country made $45 billion dollars in profit last year. That is an obscenity.” Sanders on wages: “The current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage and must be raised.”

Senior Democrats are still afraid to speak with that kind of directness, despite the general American situation being even more dire, for Trump-related reasons, than it was during Sanders’ campaign. They also don’t seem to have internalized how forceful, social media–friendly rhetoric has built brand loyalty among Republicans. See, for instance, Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden surge in popularity among conservatives after angrily denouncing the alleged Democratic smear campaign against Brett Kavanaugh. Voters are frustrated, and not just those who are progressive news junkies. As my colleague William Saletan has documented, there’s polling evidence that a significant majority of voters are “embarrassed” by Trump and would like to see a Congress that “stands up to” the president rather than finding common ground with him.

That disconnect is where Sanders and Crooked Media were born. It’s a vacuum that has also abetted the rise of Stormy Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti, who has hung on to relevance with two clawing hands by creating a recurring series of dramas on social media. Elected Democrats complain that Avenatti has no grassroots activist credibility and is basically running a presidential campaign out of cable news greenrooms. But what those complaints miss, even after Donald Trump won the presidency, is that that’s the way politics works now. To repurpose an oft-cited analogy, it’s like complaining that a dog shouldn’t be allowed to play basketball instead of figuring out how to guard the dog that keeps dunking on you.

Unlike a lot of the rhetoric that comes out of Democratic D.C., Gillum’s viral debate sound bite was aggressive, memorable, and reminiscent of the way human beings actually talk. Like other prominent progressive counterattacks during the Trump presidency—from the Women’s March to the activism that followed the Parkland, Florida, shooting to the responses to family separation—it felt like an appropriately urgent rejoinder in an urgent moment. None of those progressive high points involved the ostensible leaders of the Democratic Party.

Schumer, Pelosi, and the party’s other senior figures haven’t articulated what it means to be a Democrat in 2018, and there’s no indication they ever will. What might it mean if voters were able to hear from Democratic leaders who weren’t hostile to ambitious ideas and who didn’t respond to crises with embarrassing wordplay and platitudinous statements about bipartisanship? God willing, someday we’ll find out.

Correction, Nov. 5, 2018: This piece originally misstated that Lori Lodes works for Protect Our Care. Lodes left Protect Our Care to co-found Get America Covered.

In the last episode of ShotsOnShotsNG season 1, the topic up for discussion is drugs, its abuse and intake among millennials. The web-series focuses on topics affecting millennials and is produced by Banke Bakare. Watch: ﻿

In the workplace, quick reflexes are useful, but initiative has a bigger impact. Is there a way to implement this in your online training program? In this article, Christopher Pappas discuss how to apply proactive learning in online training.

Photo: g-stockstudio/Shutterstock.com

How To Apply Proactive Learning In Online Training

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Ah, fabric softener. If you haven't heard of it (like most millennials apparently), you may be missing out. From the more straightforward use of softening and scenting your laundry to less conventional uses like unshrinking sweaters, removing wallpaper, or dusting baseboards, fabric softener is a proven—and cost-effective—multitasker. But like its cousin laundry detergent and its second cousin dish soap, there are a few things you definitely shouldn't do with fabric softener.

The word diversity has different meanings for so many people. For some it means people of all ages, for others, it’s a matter of ethnicity, while there are many more who think of diversity in terms of male and female. But what about a person’s sexual orientation or gender identification? While the recruitment industry works tirelessly to create an inclusive hiring process that appeals to people of all backgrounds, have some of us forgotten to include the LGBTQ community in our efforts?Get a free consultation where we can help you with your diversity recruitment strategy. Contact us today to learn more. Why it mattersAs we move towards a more inclusive society where people feel more comfortable in taking pride in who they are, there is a notable rise in the number of people identifying as LGBTQ.In fact, in the US last year, the estimated percentage of the population that openly identifies themselves as LGBTQ rose to 4.5%. This was up from 4.1% in 2016 and 3.9% in 2015. We can only guess what the true figure would be if there were more than 22 states that prohibited employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.CEO of workplace advocacy group Out & Equal Erin Uritus believes that 20% of millennials identify as LGBTQ. And as a recruiter, you are probably well aware that by the year 2025 millennials could make up as much as 75% of the workforce. This means that at some point in the very near future a quite significant portion of the talent pool will be gay, lesbian, or transgender.If we take the US figures as a very rough benchmark for global figures you can see how having a non-inclusive recruitment process or workplace could have an adverse effect on your search for the best talent. Casting a wider net in your search for talent isn’t the only reason that inclusivity matters. Did you know that the unemployment rate for transgender people is three times that of the national average in the US? 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Billionaire brothers have built personality profiles of most Americans, and use them to push right-wing propaganda

New documents uncovered by the Center for Media and Democracy show that the billionaire Koch brothers have developed detailed personality profiles on 89 percent of the U.S. population; and are using those profiles to launch an unprecedented private propaganda offensive to advance Republican candidates in the 2018 midterms.

The documents also show that the Kochs have developed persuasion models — like their "Heroin Model" and "Heroin Treatment Model" — that target voters with tailored messaging on select issues, and partner with cable and satellite TV providers to play those tailored messages during “regular” television broadcasts.

Over the last decade, big data and microtargeting have revolutionized political communications. And the Kochs, who are collectively worth $120 billion, now stand at the forefront of that revolution — investing billions in data aggregation, machine learning, software engineering and Artificial Intelligence optimization.

In modern elections, incorporating AI into voter file maintenance has become a prerequisite to producing reliable data. The Kochs’ political data firm, i360 states that it has “been practicing AI for years. Our team of data scientists uses components of Machine learning, Deep Learning and Predictive Analytics, every day as they build and refine our predictive models.”

Thanks to that investment (and the Supreme Court’s campaign finance rulings that opened the floodgates for super PACs), the Koch network is better positioned than either the Democratic Party or the GOP to reach voters with their individually tailored communications.

That is a dangerous development, with potentially dramatic consequences for our democracy.

The Kochs and i360

The Kochs formally entered the data space nine years ago, developing the “Themis Trust” program for the 2010 midterms — an uncommonly impactful election cycle where Republican operatives executed their REDMAP program and algorithmically gerrymandered congressional maps across the country in their favor.

In 2011, the Kochs folded Themis into a data competitor it acquired, i360 LLC, which was founded by Michael Palmer, the former chief technology officer of Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. Palmer still leads the organization.

“Right now, we’re talking about and building things that you won’t see in 2016, because it’s not going to be ready until 2018,” Michael Palmer said in the wake of the 2014 midterm cycle.

Those programs are now operational. And according to a successful GOP campaign manager, i360 is the “best in the business” at providing Republicans with voter data.

i360’s client list reflects that data superiority. The country’s most notorious and effective political spenders, like the National Rifle Association, use the platform to identify and influence voters, as do Republican party committees, and U.S. House and Senate campaigns.

(A full list of i360’s clients is available here. Some clients, like the Republican Party of Wisconsin, have multiple sub-campaigns they run. It is also important to note that many Koch political groups, like Americans for Prosperity and the Libre Initiative, signed data sharing agreements with i360 in 2016 that are most likely still in effect.)

i360 sweetens the deal to its clients by offering its services at below-market rates. And once clients are locked into the i360 platform, they have access to the company’s voter file — the beating heart of modern political campaigns.

Conservatives agree that the Kochs are subsidizing i360. The losses they sustain by undercharging clients, however, are a pittance compared to the down-stream public policy returns and political power the Kochs receive from operating what amounts to a shadow political party in the United States — one that vigilantly guards the fossil fuel subsidies, deregulatory schemes, and regressive tax structures that enable Koch Industries to bring in $115 billion annually in private revenue.

Inside the i360 Voter File

i360’s voter file identifies “more than 199 million active voters and 290 million U.S. consumers,” and provides its users with up to 1,800 unique data points on each identified individual.

They know if you enjoy fishing — and if you do, whether you prefer salt or fresh water. They know if you have bladder control difficulty, get migraines or have osteoporosis. They know which advertising mediums (radio, TV, internet, email) are the most effective. For you.

i360 has the following attribute tags, among hundreds of others, ranked 1-10, or subdivided otherwise in their voter file.

Here’s an example of an i360 attribute tag and code name, using a 1-10 value scale:

But i360 attribute codes are not limited to that 1-10 scale. Their knowledge of your financial standing is granular, from how much equity you have in your home to your net wealth and expendable income.

They know where you live, what your mortgage status is and even how many bathrooms are in your house.

i360 has also created a set of 70 “clustercodes” to humanize its data for campaign operatives. These categories range from “Faded Blue Collars” to “Meandering Millennials,” and have flamboyant descriptions that correspond with their attribute headings.

Here are some examples:

Koch Persuasion Models

Additionally, i360 has developed a series of persuasion models for its voter file. These models are often regionally sensitive — since voters have regional concerns — and are being used in federal elections and down-ballot races to assist Republicans across the country.

In 2016, i360 created a set of regional models while working with Sen. Rob Portman’s 2016 re-election campaign in Ohio. Portman started out the race polling nine points behind his Democratic opponent, Gov. Ted Strickland, but ultimately won with 58 percent of the vote.

The company developed a model that could predict whether a voter supported Portman or Strickland with 89 percent accuracy, and others that predicted voter policy preferences. Well aware of the 2016 landscape, i360 also made a Trump/Clinton model, an Anti-Hillary model, and a Ticket Splitter model.

Much of i360’s success in the race, however, was linked to understanding (after conducting extensive polling) that a “key local issue facing Ohio was the opioid epidemic.” In response, the company created a “heroin model” and a “heroin treatment model” that were particularly effective at convincing voters to support Portman.

When describing how they employed their “heroin model,” i360 was clear that Portman’s “position” on the crisis depended on the voter, emphasizing health care solution communications for some, and criminal justice solution communications for others.

Here is i360 on the subject:

…the issue of opioid abuse was particularly complex in that it was relatively unknown whether it was considered a healthcare issue or a criminal justice issue. The answer to this would dictate the most effective messaging. In addition, this was a particularly personal issue affecting some voters and not others.

By leveraging two predictive models — the Heroin model identifying those constituents most likely to have been affected by the issue of opioid abuse and the Heroin Treatment model determining whether those individuals were more likely to view the issue as one of healthcare or of criminal justice — the campaign was able to effectively craft their messaging about Senator Portman’s extensive work in the Senate to be tailored to each individual according to their disposition on the topic.

This manipulation of the opioid crisis for political gain has a perverse irony given the Kochs’ long-running work to provide corporate interests, including health care and pharmaceutical interests, with undue political power and influence over public policy decisions. The Kochs have gifted over a million dollars to ALEC, for example, an organization that counts Purdue Pharma — the unconscionable manufacturer of OxyContin — as a member.

The company also stated it joined Portman’s campaign 21 months before the election, and that, “Together, i360 and the campaign strategized a plan to execute one of the most custom-targeted, integrated campaigns to date with a focus on getting the right message to the right voter wherever that might be.”

This is notable because during the 2016 election, i360 also ran $11.7 million worth of “independent” expenditures for the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund, Freedom Partners Action Fund, and Americans for Prosperity in Portman’s race.

These outside spenders, two of which are Koch-funded groups, and Portman’s campaign all used i360 to coordinate their digital marketing, phone banks and television ad buys, in the same market, in the same election.

Additionally, i360 supplied Portman’s campaign with other issue-based models on gun control, gay marriage and abortion that the company continues to supply to its clients in 2018.

Here are some examples of i360’s issue-based models:

The list goes on, but the structure stays the same. The Kochs are tailoring their advertising to you, because they know nearly everything about you.

[…] Currently, Millennials are dominating the workforce, and this unique generation craves feedback 50% more than their predecessors. By utilizing chatbots to provide performance feedback, managers don’t […]

LendEDU notes that the revenue figures are estimates based on the number of applicants and the school's application fee. Some colleges offer discounted or waived application fees for need-based financial aid students.

The top of the list is full of blue and gold. Eight campuses in the University of California system — where the application fee is $70 and the number of applicants ranges from over 42,000 to 97,000 — ranked in the top 25.

Below, take a look at the top 25 colleges that earned the most revenue off student applications last year, ranked from lowest to highest.

23. University of California, Riverside

Reported by Bill Bumpas, Steve Jordahl (OneNewsNow.com) | Monday, November 5, 2018 URL of the original posting site: https://www.onenewsnow.com/church/2018/11/05/millennials-struggle-with-the-faith-politics-mix Evangelical Millennials are grappling with how to integrate their faith and their politics, as highlighted by a recent article in The New York Times. Six young Christians, all raised in evangelical homes and now breaking with their parents […]

We know the two terms, introvert and extrovert, and we know they are opposites. An introvert is a shy person; an extrovert is an outgoing person. This isn't secret or controversial. What is more interesting, however, is the origin of the words and the ramifications.

Both words come from a compound, related concept. "Intro" is a prefix from the Latin that means "within" or "internal." "Extro" is a prefix that comes from the Latin "extrā" meaning "outside" or "without" (as opposed to "within"). Okay, good, we can all see that these two prefixes are opposites. So what about the root word? The suffix, "vert," as it turns out, is the same one used in other familiar words. You can "revert," "convert," "invert," "subvert," "avert," or "divert." "Pervert" comes from the same term as does "advertise." ("Advertise" comes from "advert" which means "to pay attention" -- ad + vert.) Lots of "verting" going on. So what does that suffix mean? It means "to turn." (Now, if you want to play, go back into that list I just gave you and see if you can see where the "turn" term takes those words based on their prefixes.)

Okay, I know, boring, at least to anyone who isn't a wordsmith. Let's make it significant now. If you look at the original two words, "introvert" and "extrovert", you'll find that their actual meanings now shift. An introvert is shy because he or she is "turned-inward" and an extrovert is gregarious because he or she is "turned-outward." Now, I suppose, that's not necessarily true in fact, but those are the ideas behind the words.

If we step back one more step, then, let me ask you two questions. In terms of human beings, are we naturally introverts -- turned inwards -- or extroverts -- turned outward? The answer, biblically, is that we are introverts. We have our eyes on ourselves. It's the nature of our sin nature. You can see this in much of society today. Millennials are castigated for being the "Me" generation, but that's just because they're doing openly what all of us have done secretly most of the time. "What's good for me?" is the natural concern of the human being. Introverts. If that's true, here's the second question. What should Christians be? If Jesus is to be believed, our primary aim is two-fold. First, love God with all of our being. Second, love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22:37-39). These are by definition "turned outward." Paul puts it this way. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (Php 2:3-4). Turned outward, not inward.

We don't all have to be social butterflies, gregarious, that kind of thing. However, the defining characteristic of those who follow Christ is to "love one another" (John 13:35). That is turning outward, not inward. The functional position of any genuine believer ought to be as an extrovert, turned outward toward God and others.

ABOUT MEREDITH CORPORATION Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP) (www.meredith.com) has been committed to service journalism for 115 yrs. Today, Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms — including broadcast tv, print, digital, mobile and video — to provide consumers with content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners. Meredith's National Media Group reaches nearly 175 million unduplicated American consumers every month, including 80 percent of U.S. millennial women. Meredith is a leader in creating content across media platforms and life stages in key consumer interest areas, such as celebrity, food, lifestyle, home, parenting, beauty and fashion. Meredith also features robust brand licensing activities, including more than 3,000 SKUs of branded products at 4,000 Walmart stores across the U.S., and The Foundry, the company's state-of-the-art creative lab and content studio.

A new survey suggests over half of millennials portray their relationship as happier on social media than it really is.

Social media is full of people's carefully curated lives.

But it's usually not a realistic representation of everything that's going on.

Nobody posts about their arguments, or the days they aren't looking their best.

Social media is great for creativity when used in a healthy way.

You should ask yourself whether you're doing things because you enjoy them, or just because you get a photo out of it.

Your social media feed is carefully curated. Whether you spend a few minutes or a few hours choosing and editing photos, you ultimately decide what's worthy of being shared with the world and what isn't.

Apps like Instagram provide a place to be creative and show off your life, work, and personality. But it's important to know the difference between a perfectly crafted feed and real life.See the rest of the story at Business Insider

"Follow Jesus Christ Go!" is thought of by many as the Christian version of "Pokémon GO!"

The main objective of the game is to stay 'healthy' by picking up loaves of bread, water chalices, and spirituality 'crucifixes'.

While the game is available for both iOS and Android, it's only operating in Italy and Spain currently.

"Follow Jesus Christ Go!", also known as "Follow JC Go!", is known to many as the Christian version of augmented reality game, "Pokémon GO!".

However, that isn't quite the case — while the games share many similarities, the newer take on the original is very different in many ways.

It was released in Rome by evangelical organisation the Ramón Pané Foundation. So far, the game has only been developed for Spain and Italy, but will soon be translated into English and Portguese.

Available for both iOS and Android, the app was developed with World Youth Day 2019 in mind — an international Catholic event centred on religious faith and youth, due to be celebrated in Panama in January 2019. The goal is for users to travel the world together through "Evangelization teams", learning facts about the Christian faith.

The idea is probably entertaining if you follow the religion and, actually, could be pretty useful even for those non-religious users who want to get to know new places in their city.

We tried "Follow JC Go!" - here's what it's like to play, and how it compared with "Pokémon GO!".

First, you have to create an avatar

Business Insider España

The platform offers you dozens of styles, haircuts, and appearances, allowing you to move around the platform's virtual world dressed as a schoolgirl, nurse, punk, old man, or child. In short, there are endless possibilities.

You can even select the diocese and parish to which you belong, but that's optional. Once you've done that, you can start playing.

The aim? To travel the world to form an 'evangelization team' or eTeam

Business Insider España

As well as forming an eTeam, your objective is to pick up facts about the Christian faith.

To do this, you need to grant the app access to your location.

The structure is very similar to that of "Pokémon GO!"

Business Insider España

While the way the app works and the aesthetic of the game bear a lot of resemblance to "Pokémon GO!" there's more to the game than that.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx to a working-class family. Her mom is Puerto Rican and her dad is a Bronx native.

Her parents were disappointed in their local schooling system, so her extended family helped fund a move to a better school district.

Scott Heins/Getty

Shuttling between New York's poorest borough in Bronx, where her extended family lived, and more affluent boroughs was her first experience of income inequality, she toldThe Intercept.

She went to Boston University, where she studied economics and international relations. After graduation she took up bartending and waitressing jobs to supplement her mother's income as a housecleaner and bus driver.

Do you aspire to drive change in policy and governance? From education reform to creating affordable health care and defining digital efficiency, state governments are the epicenter of policy development and are in need of young, fresh talent like you! With new perspectives and skills, we believe Millennials and Generation Z will spearhead some of today’s social and political challenges. At Govern […]

Image Credit If you’re a millennial that wants to become a millionaire, then you’re clearly going to need to follow a strategy that leads to that path, yet in such rapidly changing times, and an abundance of conflicting advice – it can be hard to get clarity on exactly what you need to do.

The labor force of the future in the energy industry – oil and gas in particular – is often a centerpiece of various alarms that currently dominate discussion about the energy landscape in the context of “energy transitions”. There is growing concern that public attitudes toward oil and gas are deteriorating, especially amongst Millennials, and ...

A young millennial male with intellectual challenges, seeking a support worker to accompany me to be active and to engage in my community.... $18 - $21 an hourFrom Indeed - Tue, 30 Oct 2018 14:55:39 GMT - View all Erin, ON jobs

I live in Kane county a collar county of the city of Chicago. We "Deplorables" are energized. Early voting started on the 22 of October and I was there in a crowded polling place. Reports are voter turnout so far is hitting record levels. I think as in 2016 the polls are fake in an attempt to dampen Trump supporters. Of course, I am doing the same thing this time as in 2016, 6 GOP candidate yard signs in the front and more essentially prayer! Election eve will conclude a Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus that the a red wave will indeed take place this month along with intentions added to my daily rosary. I just read an article yesterday that one of our congressmen, Randy Hultgren in Ill 14th district, a good conservative pro life candidate I might add is being challenge by socialist (the entire Democrat party is essentially the socialist party now), millennial Lauren Underwood. Ms Underwood, and many other candidates in the socialist party, still lives with her parents. Hmmm she can't live on her own but thinks she can tell others how they should live. Here is the article if your interested. https://mailchi.mp/e287a6487fef/living-in-their-parents-basement-these-folks-are-running-for-office?e=92d4d9f34f BTW Jeanne Ives is a conservative west point grad Republican in the Illinois house of representatives. I had one of Jeanne's signs in the yard last primary as well. The main problem in Illinois is that GOP yard signs have a tendency to disappear. Of course thats the price you pay for living in the Illinois Gulag. Hopefully next year at this time I will be voting in the more conservative confines of neighboring Indiana once I move there.

Today’s post was written by Laura Gayle, author of the blog Business Woman Guide. I am pleased that she has contributed to Omega HR Solutions. Check out her blog site for more interesting information. Millennials are now the largest population in our workforce, having reached this milestone in 2016 when they surpassed the numbers of Gen X, according […]

MILLENNIALS splash out £338 more a year on groceries than their parents, a survey has found. They spent an average of £54.40 for the weekly shop, while their parents, keen to get a good deal rather than forking out for organic or sustainable foods,...

Records with booze is as natural a pairing as you’ll find on this planet. It was only a matter of time before ingenious entrepreneurs saw the potential of combining the two vices under a common roof (see: West Magnolia Avenue’s Off the Record). The latest to throw in on Gen-X/millennial/xennial wish-fulfillment – and provide hipsters […]

MUMBAI: Diwali known as the festival of lights, brings with itself a gigantic festive fervour that's filled with fun, happiness, love, family bonding, and not to forget — the gifting and shopping frenzy. And no brand wants to miss out the opportunity to connect with its audience through a heart-touching and emotional content.

Brand Factory, breaking this clutter, has launched a digital film - #Diwali365Days, which shows there is every day Diwali at Brand Factory because of amazing discounts 365 days on 200+ fashion brands.

The film captures the essence of how Diwali also means dramatisation of everything. There are countless greetings from random numbers to mandatory office celebrations to never-ending selfie sessions. It is something we don’t opt, but our celebrations are incomplete without it. Through a quirky narrative, the digital film showcases such instances which do get overwhelming.

The film was a big hit among millennials and garnered over 2 million views and 200+ shares in just 5 days.

Brand Factory chief marketing officer Roch D’Souza says, “During Diwali, brands usually take an emotional or social hook to convey a message. But at Brand Factory, we decided to take insights from things that usually happen during Diwali and give a quirky spin to it. So, we decided to have a digital film which will resonate with our audience. At the same time, we ensured to enhance the brand proposition of discounts 365 days which the film does it aptly.”

Brand Factory, a Future Group concept, is India’s leading chain of fashion discount stores with 72 outlets across 30 cities in India. It offers 200+ Indian and International fashion brands at 20-70 per cent discount, 365 days a year. It also offers a diverse range of merchandise at absolutely great prices in a refreshingly enjoyable ambience. Brand Factory stores include men’s formals, casuals, youth wear, women’s wear, sportswear, kids wear, footwear, accessories and more.

Extreme angst is on the rise nationally and globally, especially among teens and millennials. Among other factors, preliminary findings from UC Berkeley sleep researchers point to a chronic lack of deep restorative sleep. Investigating the neural link between sleep and anxiety, UC Berkeley neuroscientists Matthew Walker and Eti Ben Simon are finding that non-Rapid Eye […]

Abstract

“We must discover the reason why trees are of an enduring constitution” wrote Aristotle in 350 BCE. Millennial lifespans in clonal trees, reproductive activity in young and physically underdeveloped trees, and sustained (albeit sporadic) reproduction for life in most trees, have made others suggest that trees show negative (anti) senescence or even become immortal. Alternatively, we hypothesise that demographic senescence always evolves when trees reach their habitat-specific optimum body size. Natural selection optimizes body size in trees such that their age-specific mortality probability is minimized and fertility is maximised. Trees of supra-optimal size are vulnerable to extrinsic mortal threats, and show size-driven decline in bodily functions, which is accentuated by age-driven loss of access to genomic information through chromosomal reorganisation, epigenetic changes, and transcriptional inadequacies. Annual trends in fertility are unpredictable in trees, although fertility always declines in old trees because of age- and size-dependent functional decline and body mass loss. We propose that an increase in body size beyond a habitat-specific optimum will escalate size-specific mortality probability of trees without any significant gains in fertility. Such trees will show increasing mortality rate and decreasing fertility rate, a hallmark of demographic senescence. The time-course of demographic senescence is also influenced by the extent of juvenile mortality, age- and size-dependent changes in offspring quality, and heterogeneity in height growth rate. High juvenile mortality is the main reason why premature (body-size wise) reproduction has evolved in trees. Offspring viability (a) remains poor in adults of sub-optimal size, (b) improves as these adults get bigger and attain an optimum size, and (c) may be sustained in older trees (with low fertility levels) due to a trade-off between fertility and seed viability, which is shaped by habitat-specific body size optimization. Senescence is not avoided, but slows down in (a) safe niches, where trees of supra-optimal body sizes survive, and (b) extreme niches, where attainment of (relatively shorter or smaller) optimal size is protracted.

Yeah, we (they) know about psychological war too ;-), but hell, they are millennial, their ears are focused on Spotify only, the trick won't work. Anyway, best luck for your Vrba' guys, I fear they will get a nightmare today with Real Madrid.